School was back underway January 2 after the holiday break in Newcastle, but students and staff will be out again January 16 to celebrate a day of service, and to remember a man who left a storied legacy.
Monday, January 16, 2023, is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day and there will be no classes at Newcastle Public Schools that day. Dr. King dedicated his life to the nonviolent struggle for racial equality in the United States.
The holiday will mark the 28th anniversary of the national day of service. This day was established to honor the life and legacy of Dr. King, and to encourage all Americans to volunteer to improve their communities, according to information from the Department of Defense Education.
Americans celebrated the first official Martin Luther King Day, which is the only federal holiday commemorating an African- American, on Monday, January 20, 1986. In 1994, Congress designated the holiday as a national day of service, and marking the third Monday in January every year as the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service — a “Day On, Not a Day Off.”
Dr. King advocated for nonviolent resistance to overcome injustice as a means of lifting racial oppression.
He created change with organized sit-ins, marches, and peaceful demonstrations that highlighted issues of inequality.
Dr. King received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964; he was the youngest person to ever receive this high honor. He followed in the footsteps of his grandfather and father by entering the ministry to become a Baptist minister.
On April 4, 1968, at the age of 39, he was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee as he stood on the balcony of his hotel. Dr. King traveled to Memphis, Tennessee to lead a march in support of striking sanitation workers.
Department of Defense Education states that Dr. King is remembered as a husband, father, friend, and fierce advocate for the betterment of all people.
The Day of Service — a “Day On, Not a Day Off” is in his memory and can be used for organizing, volunteering, and spreading the word.”
