national day o service

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day Everyone! Did you know that today is the national day of service? That's why MLK Day has such a sassy slogan--a day on, not a day off :)
Today, I was able to sleep in and get a little bit of that day off feeling. However, at 11:30, my roommate Sarah and I headed to a MLK Day Rally where there were TONS of people!

At the rally there were some wonderful speakers, a couples groups of children singing and a great drum line. It was really cool to be there with some many people around knowing that we were all there remembering the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Check out this link to get more of the history (it's a video)!
After the rally, we marched. There were about 10 full blocks of people marching--it was pretty powerful. Sarah and I met up with the Youth Program Coordinators and youth from New Futures. The march went all the way down to Pioneer Place and then bussed people backed to Garfield High School (where the march started and the rally took place). Sarah and I headed home a couple blocks early, by foot, to avoid the craziness of the busses.
It was a really great event to be a part of. There were so many different social justice groups and so many people passionate about various causes. The overall themes were peace, love and justice. I can't think of much better things than that :)
I heard some "Si se puede"s being chanted along the way, which made me so happy. It reminded me of some of the great classes I took at Gettysburg College and the whole presidential election experience while in Argentina.
So whether you chose to serve today or not, I hope that in the next couple of weeks you will take time to do some service or build up your community in some way to remember the legacy and dream of Dr. King.
Here are some quotes by MLK Jr. Be encouraged today!

Almost always, the creative dedicated minority has made the world better.

An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.


At the center of non-violence stands the principle of love. 


Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. 


Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase. 


He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it. 


Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. 


And of course, the one which acts as a motto for my blog, and hopefully my life:
I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.


Be inspired to stand up against injustice, and know that in doing so, you stand in great company!