By Corrie Lyndes, Americorps VISTA
Today, we celebrate the life and work of Martin Luther King Jr. as a scholar, minister, and civil rights leader. Growing up black in the south, Martin Luther King and his family experienced segregation and racism, despite being heavily involved with the church and their community. His father, Martin Sr., fought against racial prejudice, which left a lasting impression on Martin Luther King Jr, who was already a young intellectual.
By the time he was 15, MLK was already admitted into college, and went on to receive his PhD at Boston University in 1955. Following in the footsteps of his grandfather and father, he became a pastor at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery Alabama that same year. The young Pastor was only 25 years old when he became the elected leader of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and soon, his passionate and skillful words put him on the national stage. He quickly rose to fame as a leader and activist, known for being an outspoken supporter of non-violent protests, which inspired people from all walks of life to come together peacefully. He used his connections with other churches to organize, educate, and motivate people to fight for equality, and justice.
Dr. King made a huge impact on the world by sharing what he believed and not being afraid to speak out, even when faced with societal and political obstacles. He was a true American hero who fought for this country to be a better, more caring place. Today, and every day, we can honor his legacy by speaking up for each other, showing kindness, and giving back to our communities.
“I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality.”
-Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., 1964 Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech
Because Martin Luther King Jr. dedicated much of his life to philanthropy, MLK Day is a federal holiday that’s designated to a day of serving one’s community. Due to the continued pandemic, it’s more important than ever to volunteer and support your local community in any way that you safely can. Two great resources for finding volunteer opportunities are VolunteerMatch and United Ways of Northwestern Vermont.
Here are some local resources and organizations that would love your support:
- Food shelves! Local food shelves are always looking for people to help stock shelves, hand out food, and donate.
- Samaritan House (St. Albans)- Provides emergency shelter to homeless people in Franklin and Grand Isle counties.
- Meals on Wheels (through Age Well)- Help bring meals to senior citizens in need.
- FGI Bookmobile (St. Albans, VT)- We are always in need of volunteers to help us bring literacy to the youth of Northwestern VT.
- Your local library- Most libraries have a volunteer program in place, with duties varying from shelving books, general cleaning, or planning activities.
- Franklin County Animal Rescue (St. Albans)- help homeless pets in Franklin County find a home!
- ReSOURCE (Burlington, Williston)-This organization operates on the values of being environmentally friendly and reducing poverty through job skills training.
- Champlain Islanders Developing Essential Resources Inc. (South Hero)- This organization aims to provide resources to residents of Grand Isle County that allow them to live in dignity.
- American Red Cross (Burlington)- Help out at a blood drive, make some phone calls, and more!
- Green Mountain Habitat for Humanity (Williston)- Help build homes for people in need.
- Vermont Works for Women (Winooski)- This organization helps women find career paths and training in Vermont.
Book Clubs
In light of MLK Day and Black History Month coming up, the Franklin Grand Isle Bookmobile book clubs will be focused on African-American stories, culture, and history.
Our middle school book club will be reading Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah, who you may know as a host on The Daily Show. Noah was born in South Africa when interracial relationships were illegal and had to be kept hidden from the government during the early years of his childhood, thus being ‘born a crime.’ Noah’s childhood stories are adapted to younger readers and woven together to become a coming-of-age book that doesn’t shy away from honesty and hardship.
Our young adult book club will be reading Dear Martin by Nic Stone. This New York Times Bestseller discusses racism in our society through the captivating story of an Ivy-League bound teenager who is wrongfully arrested due to racial profiling. The protagonist revisits the writings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and begins writing letters in return about his experiences, reflecting on the similarities of their struggles. This story discusses tensions that we are experiencing in our society today, and serves as a reminder that the fight for justice is never over.