DETROIT – Today marks, what would have been, the 83rd birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King.
Most of the celebratory events will take place over the weekend or next Monday on "Martin Luther King, Jr. Day", the U.S. federal holiday for King.
So why don't we just celebrate today?
For the same reason we don't celebrate Abraham Lincoln or George Washington's birthday on their birthdays. They just get lumped into "President's Day." It is observed on the third Monday of January each year. The floating holiday is similar to holidays set under the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which gives us 3 day weekends, though the act predated the establishment of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day by 15 years.
Here are some of the events planned for Monday, January 21, 2013.
- City Year Detroit, partnering with the United Way of Southeastern Michigan and Detroit Public Schools, will make MLK Day a day "on" through service projects around the city.
- At Osborn High School we will kick off the Day of Service with an inspirational rally featuring Dr. Glenda Price, President of the DPS Foundation with and remarks by Michael J. Brennan, CEO of the United Way for Southeastern Michigan.
- The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History will host a day of celebration, service, activities, screenings, workshops and performances on the museum's busiest day of the year! The museum is open to the public from 9 am until 7 pm.