On MLK day one is given the opportunity to reflect on the many things that Dr. King was a representative of. For most, it concentrated on his message, on his role in the civil rights movement, on his spirituality, vitality, his benevolence.
Like everyone else, I did that this year as usual. But when I enrolled for my freshman year at Duke in the fall of 1998 and experienced the first 'celebrating' of MLK Day at the University, I asked myself one question: What the hell is going on here? Duke University is committing an act of hypocrisy. We celebrate MLK Day, and we get classes cancelled. We do not however, celebrate Veterans Day, Presidents Day or any other recognized national holiday.
This is not to say that MLK Day should not be given the proper respect and treatment, but that it sets up an inequality that I'm still struggling to understand. It makes me wonder if the allowance for MLK Day was made out of fear of what would happen if they didn't have the day off.
I'd like to offer you this thought. With a new wave of service men returning from Afghanistan and Iraq, I'm coming home to messages from my childhood playmates that are now war veterans. Some of our peers, in ROTC programs, will become veterans in the years to come. Should we not value the holiday that celebrates them as well? Is that less important than the message of Dr. King? Is the celebration of our nations independence day unworthy of our recognition? A nation whose hallmark individual rights enabled the wonderful successes of Dr. King and so many others deserves the same kind of celebration that MLK Day does.
I think we should be challenging our administrations decision to only celebrate MLK Day. That's what my celebration of MLK Day did for me. It allowed me the time to think about how Duke University has marred his message through their hypocritical practice of making MLK Day the only recognized holiday.
Jeremy Block
Graduate Student '10
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