So, does it deepen or cheapen the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. when the holiday honoring him has become so mainstreamed there are now “MLK Day Sale!!” ads appearing online and on TV, in newspapers, etc.? I don’t remember seeing these kind of ads in years past and frankly, cringe a little each time I’ve seen one over the past week or so.
I mean, are the civil rights icon’s accomplishments and place in history honored by shopping for discounted lingerie on his holiday?
Does it enhance his significance now that his memory is used to sell stainless steel appliances at Sears?
Or should we be proud as a nation that MLK’s place in history is so accepted and expected that he has already been relegated to a place and status occupied by the generic “Presidents’ Day”?
This also begs the question: Since another iconic leader, Cesar Chavez, also has a national holiday honoring his work and memory (March 31), I wonder how long it will be before the two holidays are combined into a “Civil Rights/Social Justice Day”?
Just wondering.
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