Martin Luther King Jr is remembered during turbulent time

Yesterday was Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Obama has commemorated his memory, stating that now, his message is more important than ever. 

This comes just days after the Capitol Riots and Alexandria Ocasio- Cortez calling for Republican members of Congress to resign. (opens in new tab)

The national holiday in the US marks the birth of Martin Luther King Jr and commemorates his pioneering work against inequality and racism in the US. 

Various political figures and celebrities found that the best way to honor his memory was to pay tribute to the powerful message he spread during his lifetime.

Barack Obama posted on Twitter, ‘If anyone had a right to question whether our democracy was worth redeeming, it was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Because in the face of billy clubs and lynchings, poll taxes and literacy tests, he never gave in to violence, never waved a traitorous flag or gave up on our country.’ 

The former president also commemorated Martin Luther King Jr’s life by encouraging his followers to get involved with their local community and live the values of Martin Luther King Jr.  He wrote, ‘On #MLKDay, we celebrate his life but we’re also called to live out his values through service of our own. Here are some ways you can get involved in your community.’ 

Ivanka Trump and Bette Midler posted quotes from Martin Luther King Jr on their social media platforms. 

Former President Donald Trump’s daughter, Ivanka wrote on Twitter, ‘Today, we honor the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. “I have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality and freedom for their spirits." -MLK, Jr. #MLKDay’

The son of Martin Luther King Jr, Martin Luther King III,  shared his thoughts about his father’s legacy and how his words are now more important than ever. He told The New York Times, ‘when my father was shot in 1968 in Memphis he was crusading for higher wages for black sanitation workers’ 

Martin Luther King III went on to say that his father’s message about helping those in poverty access welfare is more important than ever and the fight for equality is not yet over. He took to Instagram to commemorate his father's life with an old photo of the two of them.

Another member of Martin Luther King’s family has also spoken up in an effort to continue his message. Dr. Alveda King, his niece, stated that her uncle would be disappointed with the state of the US following the Capitol Riots.

Dr. King wrote in an article for Fox News, ‘People often ask what the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. would say today. No need to second guess. "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." Surely, the violence at the U.S. Capitol would have broken his heart, as would the partisan witch hunts that seem to multiply daily.’

Dr. King argued that ultimately her uncle was a man who wanted peace and the Capitol riots demonstrated a society that is divided, which is sad regardless of the party you support.

She ended her opinion piece with an emotive message that encouraged US citizens to reach out to one another during this chaotic time, ‘This year, as we observe MLK Day, I urge everyone to remember that it is designated not as a day off from work, but as a day on of service. We can all find something constructive to do in our communities, even if it’s just shaking the hand of the neighbor who supported a different candidate. Anything we can do to increase the peace is more than worth our efforts.’