Honor King, 2022 by Mika Martinez

What does it mean to honor the legacy of Dr.Martin Luther King? In 1983 President Ronald Reagan signed a bill declaring the third Monday in January a federal holiday honoring his birthday and the lasting impact that he had on the civil rights movement. In his famous, “I Have a Dream” speech, King says, “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.". Today, civil rights organizers are still fighting for this dream. Like many holidays, the true meaning of MLK Day is often lost in the commercialization and romanticism of Dr.King. Since 2014, Don’t Shoot Portland has organized a protest to celebrate the birth of this historical leader and to center the voices of children to uplift the Black community, reclaiming Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day for this purpose and honoring his legacy.