January 14, 2023

MLK Day 2023

Monday, January 16, will be a day off for students and workers across UW, in commemoration of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday. It will be the 40th anniversary of this holiday being signed into law. You can read last year’s blog post for a more in-depth overview of this holiday and Dr King’s legacy, but it is important to remember that MLK’s image and words have generally been sanitized and misappropriated. When he was alive, he supported nonviolent direct action and disobeying “unjust laws”, and he expressed frustration with the “white moderates” who told Black folks to wait for change, supported the police for maintaining order, and in general attempted to remain “neutral” above all else. It is important to think critically about his actual words and actions when people invoke MLK’s name to discourage protests or shut down movements for change.

There are many ways to honor Dr King’s legacy, whether through service, education, reflection, or action. If you live in the South Sound area, you can attend the Tacoma MLK Birthday Celebration, which will feature a Community Outreach Fair. Those closer to Seattle can attend the annual MLK Day Rally and March that starts at Garfield High School is a great event for folks of all ages and backgrounds to attend. For over 40 years, the Seattle MLK Jr Organizing Coalition has organized the rally and march “to tell our civic leaders that Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream is alive and well”. One workshop that will be offered before the rally is “Realtime Huskies Talking Social Racial Justice” and features UW student athletes sharing personal stories about racial justice. There will also be an MLK Day work party at the UW Farm, which donates some of its produce to local food banks.

The UW MLK Week website offers a list of local events and a curated selection of readings and resources to help you connect to current justice movements. The Whole U has also put together a post with community events and opportunities to learn more. Members of the SAFS community who want to learn more about systemic oppression and racial justice are welcome to get in touch with the SAFS diversity specialist at safsdeij@uw.edu.