Editorial: Honoring the dream

Today the country celebrates the birthday of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The civil rights leader was actually born Jan. 15, 1929. He was assassinated April 4, 1968.

For some, the federal holiday is just another day off from school or work. But for many, it presents a welcome opportunity to pay homage to the work left undone when King was murdered.

Our nation has progressed since King's eloquent "I Have a Dream" speech at the Lincoln Memorial in August 1963. Yet, even with the election of Barack Obama as the first black president, we find ourselves falling short of King's vision of a land where people are judged by the content of their character, not by the color of their skin.

Imagine if the bullies who attacked Asian students at South Philadelphia High School were living by that motto.

Imagine if the country could get past ethnic stereotyping and enact an immigration policy that sensibly provides a pathway to legal residency for the millions of undocumented immigrants who have been working and raising their families here for years.

King had a vision for freedom, equality, and justice that those who want to honor his memory should embrace with vigor.

The challenges that King gave his life to fight remain - poverty, violence, crime, joblessness, homelessness, poor health care, and failing schools. But now, the catalyst for change must come from within each of us who still believes in his dream.

The King Center in Atlanta wants the country to adopt its theme, "Remember, Celebrate, and Act." Those words raise a question often posed by King: What are you doing to help others? Many will respond by participating in events rooted in Congress' designation of the King holiday as a national day of volunteer service in 1994.

Across this region, a record 70,000 volunteers are expected to participate in more than 1,000 community-service projects in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. For them, it is a day on, not a day off.

But what about after today? Volunteers are needed every day of the year - not just on the anniversary of the national holiday.

King would be celebrating his 81st birthday had his life not been cut short by an assassin's bullet almost 42 years ago in Memphis.

It would dishonor King's memory to do good works in his name only once a year. Save the speeches and programs for annual observances, but the work, the deeds of service, should be daily.

King said: "All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence."

Those words never grow old or outmoded. And they have special relevance given the humanitarian crisis in Haiti, where millions are struggling to overcome the effects of last week's earthquake. Americans are there, helping.

So, on this King Day, don't just remember his dream. Find a way you can help it come true - not with words alone, but actions, too.