SHARE Photo by Unseen Histories via Unsplash According to an annual survey by Bloomberg Law, only 45 percent of private employers closed their doors for Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 2019. This is an increase over years prior—a decade before, this number was less than 30 percent. It’s clear that American values are shifting. You might consider the relationship between Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy and your business’ values when reviewing your list of corporate holidays. Dr. King’s Legacy Dr. King’s role in our country’s history as an activist, minister and Nobel Peace Prize winner is unmistakable. His leadership during events like the Montgomery Bus Boycott, Sanitation Workers’ Strike and March on Washington accelerated the movement toward racial justice around the country. His famous “I Have a Dream” speech and “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” set the tone for future activists like Stacey Abrams, Patrisse Cullors, Alicia Garza, Opal Tometi and Deray McKesson. In classrooms across the country, students memorize his words as a call for equity and inclusion in today’s world.