Hayes: Martin Luther King Jr. Day overlooked by many

It's just another day. Or so it seemed. 

Martin Luther King Jr. Day came and went in a flash Monday in the Blue Water Area. While some people used the day to take part of culturally diverse programs or service projects, many others paid very little attention to the national holiday, which arrived at a time that should have compelled American's to think a little deeper.

But Monday was yet another reminder that diversity and the accomplishments of the people that don't look like us can often take a back seat to our own perspectives. 

As a young adolescent in Detroit, there weren't many days more special to us than Martin Luther King Jr. Day. School was normally canceled, but class was still in session as our parents and grandparents shared stories of how they overcame racism and oppression through faith in Jesus Christ.  

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My grandfather would discuss his life and how he had been treated in the segregated south. He witnessed colored drinking fountains and the despair that came from being treated like you were only half of a man. My mother would take time and talk to my brother and I about what it meant to grow up as African American men. She implored us to always work harder, go the extra mile and shun excuses to become successful and overcome the hate we would one day face.

Those same conversations have remained with me today. I often think about them as I open hate mail or face the same sting from racism that my grandfather and Dr. King experienced not too long ago.

But it also begs the question of why aren't so many others interested in the contributions of those who don't look like them? After working for the Times Herald for 11 years and living in the Blue Water Area, I've come to understand that Dr, King is seen far different here than where I'm from.

For many of the people I've encountered -- he is simply an afterthought. That's alarming, but unsurprising. For years, African American's have noticed how many have overlooked African American History Month as if it wasn't even on the calendar.

And Monday served as yet another reminder at just how little value some attribute to MLK. Before I even arrived at the office Monday, I had received messages from local parents who wondered why their child wasn't taught anything about Martin Luther King Jr.

The questions appeared simple. But unfortunately the answer is much more complex. The truth is diversity isn't important to everyone. You would think it would be important to consider our nation's past, so it isn't repeated. But even at a time where racial discord is rapidly advancing, many people didn't even take a moment to pause and reflect.

For them, it was just another day. No different from past or future days. But for others, it was a day of reflection. It was a day of appreciation. And yet still, a day of awareness at how far we have come and how far we still need to go as American's.

Contact Joseph Hayes at (810) 989-6268 or at jahayes@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @Joseph_Hayes11. 

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