Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “I have a dream.”  Delivered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, MLK gave one of America’s most memorable speeches. As an American activist he had a dream that racism in the United States would come to an end.

The week of final exams begins with no school on Monday. As charming as it may seem, finals aren’t the reason for this extra day of procrastinated studying. This dream come true is actually Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Many students don’t recognize the day as anything more than just a day off from school. But with the day coming up I think it is important that we all take some time to understand and appreciate what this day really means. MLK is an American hero and his efforts to defend millions of Americans’ civil rights should never be forgotten.

Set around the day of his birthday, the third Monday of January is pronounced as an American Federal Holiday. Under the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, Martin Luther King Jr. day is on Monday Jan. 19 this year. This national holiday gives government employees the day off which also gives students a three day weekend.

I would just like to remind you what the holiday means. It’s a day to celebrate and honor the life of one of America’s greatest influence on racial discrimination. It’s a day to bring the brothers and sisters of America together no matter what cultural background they come from.

As I asked students at LHS what Martin Luther King Jr. Day meant to them, I got many casual responses. Multiple students didn’t know how to answer. One junior even said it was tough to answer the question.

Luckily, there was a senior who couldn’t have described the day any better.

“It’s a day in our society that recognizes the contributions one man made in order to bring our country together as a whole,” said Evan Stransky.

MLK had a dream for everyone in America, whether you are African-American, Native American, Hispanic, Asian-American, or Caucasian, the dream is the same: To live in an equal nation.

City offices in Lake Oswego will be closed Monday Jan. 19. There will however be a couple of events/services to honor MLK.

New Thought Center for Spiritual Living on C Avenue will host the first annual Lake Oswego celebration of MLK on Friday Jan. 16 at 7 p.m. There will also be a Monday morning service that is co-sponsored by the City of Lake Oswego Parks and Recreation Department at Mary Wood’s from  9:30 a.m to 12 p.m. to celebrate the life of MLK.

As I sleep in a little on Monday and do some last minute studying, I’ll keep in mind and be grateful for the contributions MLK made to our society.