Shaconna Haley, a doctoral student of sociology, will spend Martin Luther King Jr. Day at home with her 6-year-old son, Zuri, as she has done for the last couple of years. Haley talks to her son about the struggle and the civil rights movement, the affirmation of the strong black man and of strong leadership, all of which King stood for, she said.
For some, the holiday is a reminder of a leader who fought for the equality of the minority community, while others see his holiday as a day off.
Haley herself hasn't been to any events since high school, around the time the holiday was made official, she recalled.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a young holiday only enacted into law in 1983 and first observed as a federal holiday nationwide in 1986, is celebrated every third Monday in January.
"Some people think of it as a day off," said Tommy Buluze, a 23-year-old Eritrean who works at Jamba Juice. "In this day and age, a lot of people take the day for granted especially my generation. I think most people don't really care."
Senior Jessica Llewellyn, a Caribbean American, agreed. She said that she appreciates King but will probably sleep in and go about her daily routine.
"A lot of kids take the day as vacation," Llewellyn said. "For me, I consider it a day off like Labor Day especially since it's after the short break and first week of school."
Llewellyn said if the makeup of the school was different, then there would be more emphasis on the holiday.
"If the University was more like Howard University, it would be a much bigger deal," Llewellyn said.
"It's a holiday fought long and hard for, and acknowledges our life style today - which still needs improvement [but it's a day of reflection]," said Caleen Jennings, professor of performing arts at AU.
Jennings, also a playwright, was the first African-American in the Department of Performing Arts and founded the African-American Ensemble in 1989 on campus in order to provide students with an outlet for expression. The ensemble put on its first performance in 1990 and has worked on many different projects including those for Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Black History Month.
"Some employers still don't observe it even though it's a federal holiday," Jennings said. "I'm still troubled by this ... and it's apparent especially in the corporate work world where [the holiday] is eroding, and it's a shame."
Senior JoAnne Key believes that the perception of MLK Jr. Day should center around all of his ideals rather than solely on the civil rights movement.
"Dr. King Day is a good day but I disagree more with his portrayal being associated with just the non-violent, civil rights movement," said Key, an African-American student. "He also was against the Vietnam War and America's involvement. People don't acknowledge that side of him."
Key said there should also be a Malcolm X day and that many people would agree if they understood that he had not always been confrontational.
"Most Americans, black and white or any other group, don't realize how much they owe King," said Ed Smith, director of the American Studies program. "As a rule ... many people don't respect people from the past who [contributed a great deal]."
Holidays like Presidents Day are coming up, and most people think of sales, Smith said, who hopes that MLK Jr. Day would not become like that.
"I honestly believe that King is the founding father of a whole new America with equal opportunity and social justice," Smith said. "He transformed [Thomas] Jefferson's rhetoric into a social reality in all men are created equal."
Smith said young people do not realize how many opportunities they have which were made possible by King's courage and willingness to die for his belief in equality.
"'I have a dream' is the same as the [Jeffersonian ideal]," Smith said. "This is the only country based on a dream ... the American Dream."
Smith, among others, hopes that a large number of students will attend the activities and learn more about the leader.
Activities on campus include a library exhibit, discussion about King and hip-hop music, musical performances and a Day of Service with volunteer projects at the historic Woodlawn Cemetery and Capital Children's Museum.
"The holiday is meant to commemorate the civil rights leader and kick off Black History Month," said Mark Seaman, executive director of the Eagle Endowment for Public and Community Service. "Service is how we choose to remember him."
"He once said he didn't want to be remembered with statues and memorials but by service," Seaman said. "By taking these initiatives, that's how we can honor everything he did."
Multicultural Affairs Program Coordinator Melva Jones said that Dr. King's vision is evident through this year's activities, from music to film to meditation.
"His image will continue to speak volumes today, tomorrow and the next day," Jones said.
