Monday, January 17^th we will be out of school. Every year we take this day off to celebrate. However, most of us don’t understand what the day truly means. The lot of us take the day off as a gift and that’s all. We do not think about it’s meaning, what it stands for, or even why we celebrate it. So I’m here to share Ms. Barbara Hall’s thoughts.

            To begin I asked what she thought of MLK day, her response was, “For me, it’s a moment of reflection on my history and heritage. It gives me a time to reflect and think about those who have made sacrifices for me so that I can have the things that I have and be who I am today. It reminds me that I am truly blessed, because our ancestors struggled and I don’t have as many challenges as they had.”

            Due to the fact that most of us have continuously used it as a day off, Ms. Hall feels as though the holiday has become too commercialized. She says that even in her own culture they are guilty of using this day in the same way. Everyone is just skipping a day of work or school, and deciding that’s what the Holliday is. Ms. Hall feels as though she herself is also guilty of this.

            However, she also mentions, “We should be about action, we should be about something.”. This day, is not a skip day. It’s one of our more important moments in history. A day in which we are meant to celebrate the achievements of Martin Luther King Jr., a man who helped to unite us in non-violent ways. Ms. Hall describes him using the words, “Powerful man.” She then continues to speak of his work,“ Just pay attention to the words. Because there are so many messages and meanings in his words.”

          MLK day is a very important day, one that means a lot to many people around the world. Regardless of your ethnicity, race, or beliefs, it is important that we all understand what this marks. Understand that it is not just any break, and remember what it means. As Ms. Hall said, it’s a reflection. In heritage, in ancestry, and the sacrifices made so that we could arrive at the point in which we stand today. Have a wonderful day off, and stay safe!