ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR) – The United States is honoring Martin Luther King JR. The federal holiday was set aside to honor the life of the civil rights icon.
It’s the 30th anniversary of the holiday becoming a national day of service, and Dr. David Thorp says remembering what today means is the most important.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. would have been 96 years old this year. He was a fierce activist and one of the most prominent figures of the civil rights movement in the 1950s. Dr. Thorp says that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was an eloquent and beautiful speaker, and that made it easy for everyone to listen to him. For those who have the day off, Dr. Thorp says he hopes they remember the reason for it.
“I would hope the 4th of July is a time when Americans think about why their nation was founded in the way that it was. I would hope that we would still take time on Martin Luther King Day to think about what we can still do to make that a better nation,” said Dr. David Throp, an associate professor of history at Virginia Tech.
The Clean Valley Council was scheduled to host a litter clean-up day but canceled due to forecast cold temperatures, however, they encouraged those who wanted to help to explore other events to honor the life and legacy of Dr. King.