The Skyliner

Issue date: 1/23/08 Section: Opinion

Martin Luther King, Jr. was undoubtedly a vital leader of the Civil Rights Movement of the '50s and '60s, but he was one of countless people that organized themselves and cooperated in order to bring about racial equality.

Congress then named the holiday after him because he was the most prevalent figure of the movement, but today people recognize the person more than what King fought for.

I acknowledge King as the most important leader of the movement, but it never could have happened without everyone else.

Famous and infamous names alike make this list.

Jesse Jackson, Gandhi and Malcolm X played a part in the 20th century movement, and they all used different methods to accomplish their goals.

The movement can even be traced back to Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass and John Newton, and even others before them.

While King's work should never be forgotten, slapping his name on the holiday cheats everyone else out of the recognition they deserve.

Sure, he may have been assassinated, but if that's a qualification, three other people I listed should have their own holiday.

To put it another way, giving King all the credit in the form of a holiday is similar to saying Ronald Reagan single-handedly brought down the Soviet Union.

While Reagan's contributions were invaluable, thousands of people in the form of Congress, other Presidents, soldiers and civilians had to work together in order to win the Cold War, both before and after his administration.

Therefore, would it not be more appropriate to call it Civil Rights Day?

Until that can change, celebrate MLK Day and enjoy the freedoms we enjoy as Americans that King helped further secure through his efforts. But remember everyone else who fought, debated, lobbied or died in the process.

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