MLK Day: Honoring Martin Luther King Jr. Through Wellness, Service, and Community
- Molly M.
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Day honors the life and legacy of the civil rights leader known for his nonviolent activism against racial segregation and discrimination. Honor today in ways that uplift your mental health and wellbeing, and support the community around you.
Background
Martin Luther King Jr. was a Baptist minister who advocated for the end of racial segregation through nonviolent protest. His fame originated from a 1955 bus boycott in Montgomery, Alabama, in which he led a mass boycott that resulted in a Supreme Court ruling that declared segregated buses unconstitutional. He founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, a civil rights organization that was pivotal in organizing many of the civil rights campaigns during this time. Dr. King was a leading influence in the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that outlawed discrimination in public accommodations, facilities, and employment.
Serve Your Community And Your Well-being
Dr. King served his community in many ways, helping them overcome discrimination. Find ways you can serve your community today. Acts of service may help to build your mental wellness and give you opportunities to build connections with others around Auburn.
IMPACT is Auburn’s primary source of service for students. Visit the Service tab on AUInvolve to learn more about different opportunities and find one to sign up for.
If you don’t have the time or ability to go somewhere and give service, help someone in a small way today. Hold a door, check in on your friends, or simply send a text to a family member you haven’t spoken to in a while. This day of service doesn’t have to be something life changing, but it’s important we reflect on where we stand in our community and how we can make it better.
Move With Intention and Honor Your Values
Dr. King honored his values through his work every single day. Today, use movement as a way to reflect on your values and how you apply them to your life and community.
Take a walk around campus to think about where you’re at in your time here at Auburn and where you want to go next.
Take a Group Fit class to energize yourself and release any bad energy you have from the first couple weeks of classes.
Spend time meditating, stretching, and reflecting on what your values are and how you are actively honoring them each day.
Connect to Something Bigger
Dr. King brought together people from all over the South and further to fight against segregation. Find groups that empower you to be someone better, or work to make the connections you already have stronger.
Clubs are one of the best ways to find new people with your same values and interests. Find a new club to join on campus that will align with your professional, personal, or community goals. You can find all of Auburn’s clubs on AUInvolve.
Or, simply spark up a conversation with someone you’ve never spoken to before. Whether it be someone in a class, someone you always see when working out, or someone waiting in line to grab their Chick-fil-A order at the same time as you. Building your community and supporting the one you already have are great ways to empower yourself to become a better person and in turn encourage those around you to become better people.
Give Yourself a Goal For the Semester
Dr. King was intentional with what he did and how he did it. Creating a space for African Americans to fight for themselves and their community supported a change that improved the lives of thousands for generations to come.
As we get into the spring semester, give yourself at least one goal that you can achieve by May. Be intentional in setting this goal, and make it one that will change your life for the better. Whether it be something as simple as getting assignments done on time or something as intricate as a weekly health and wellness routine, find something that will keep you motivated until the end of the school year.
Use today as an opportunity to reflect, reconnect, and reset. Dr. King’s message centered on community, compassion, and courage, and it’s important we remember those values in our lives today.
Be Well, Auburn.
