LEXINGTON, Ky. (Jan. 15, 2021) 2020 was a year in which the world was taken to its knees. Ravaged by twin pandemics of COVID-19 and the challenges of systemic racism, the people of this country have grieved. While heartache continues around the nation, courage and the undeniable force of the human spirit have revealed themselves in the voices of activists and community members.
The year 2020 has reminded us that conditions in the United States are not so different from the very conditions that created the need for a voice like Martin Luther King Jr. The year 2020 also reminds us that the journey toward freedom and justice for Black people and other marginalized groups is long and the terrain relentless; and yet, we must keep moving. It is in the spirit of such resilience the life of Martin Luther King Jr. is honored with a day of celebration.