COLUMBUS, Ohio — Community members and leaders honored the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the 37th annual birthday breakfast on Monday.
Years after his death, many would say the words of Dr. King carry as large of an impact as when he first spoke them. Each year, community members and leaders come together to ensure those words are not lost in a consistently evolving society.
“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?,” said Marshell Arnold, who serves as managing director at JP Morgan Chase.
According to Arnold, this question is more necessary then ever Columbus grapples with an increase in violent crime compared to this time last year.
“From a small group mounting a failed insurrection, to widespread dissatisfaction with American institutions, many say that the American democracy is in danger,” said Columbus City Council President Shannon Hardin.
To Hardin, Dr. King’s legacy lives on in institutions designed to ease the burden on working families, cut child poverty in half, ensure clean drinking water for communities, free community college to students in need and so much more.
“Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. understood that his dream was rooted in the American dream,” said Hardin.
It’s why, to many, the third Monday of January is an important one. It not only celebrates Dr. King, but serves as a reminder for what he stood for.