This year marks 42 years since MLK Day became a federal holiday and Americans have honored the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as a day set aside to honor a man whose leadership was rooted in universal human dignity, democratic values and a profound belief in America’s capacity for moral growth.  

His message was simple and powerful: citizenship requires service, and freedom comes with responsibility.  It was a vision of nonviolence, pluralism and moral clarity. 

After 15 years of advocacy, President Ronald Reagan signed the King Holiday Bill into law in 1983, establishing the third Monday in January as a federal holiday. 

This celebration should not be diluted and be used as just a day off from school or a day off from work. We shouldn’t be wondering if the banks are closed or whether we will receive mail on this day. 

As Americans, for this and all our federal holidays, we should reflect on why we actually have them.  

Martin Luther King Day celebrates the universal, unconditional love, forgiveness, and nonviolence that empowered his revolutionary spirit. It was designed to be a unifying moment in American civic life, a day to reflect on our shared values, our progress and the work still left to do.  It is supposed to be a day of service as we celebrate a man who brought hope and healing to America. 

We should commemorate the timeless values he taught us through his example; courage, truth, justice, compassion, dignity, humility, and service that so radiantly defined Dr. King’s character and empowered his leadership.

We should be promoting the opportunity to learn about courage, sacrifice, nonviolence and the hard work of building a pluralistic society. 

We should be learning and teaching that civil rights are about expanding freedom, and that justice is not achieved by replacing one form of hatred with another.  

I encourage you to embrace this spirit not just on MLK day, but to welcome his philosophy of brotherhood and cooperation every day.

Fraternally,

Larry Magdy

President

Philadelphia Continental Chapter

Sons of the American Revolution