Murray MLK Week of Action
A group of Murray, KY residents who’ve been calling for the removal of the Confederate Monument from the court square are planning a week of community activism, learning, and reflection in honor of the life and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. Calloway County residents are encouraged to work individually or within their families from January 17-23rd to give back, engage politically, and send words of encouragement to community organizations.
The Martin Luther King Jr. holiday on Jan. 18, 2021, is the 26th anniversary of the day of service that celebrates the Civil Rights leader’s life and legacy. Observed each year on the third Monday in January as “a day on, not a day off,” MLK Day is the only federal holiday designated as a national day of service to encourage all Americans to volunteer to improve their communities. Due to COVID-19, many of the traditional MLK Day service projects have been canceled.
“Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. told us that ‘the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice’” says Sherman Neal, who reignited calls for the removal of the monument with a letter to Calloway County leadership which received national attention in June 2020. “The last 8 months have been long. The coming days will be longer. I am grateful for the opportunity to stand up with this community to advocate for change. Direct action requires sacrifice and we all have something to give. We have work to do. I hope sharing my story will drive one more person to speak up and act.”
The Murray week of action commences with a viewing of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s 1967 speech “The Other America” followed by a virtual community conversation with Dr. MarTeze Hammonds, Dr. Jessica Evans and Sherman Neal II on Sunday January 17, starting at 6:30 P.M. through zoom. The week concludes with the public invited to join protests at the Confederate Monument on Saturday January 23 starting at 10:00 A.M.
A full list of the events can be found at the website https://tinyurl.com/y3yhfz77
Participants can share throughout the week with #MurrayMLKWeekofAction