Every year like clockwork, the world tries to shrink Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.‘s legacy into a Pinterest quote and a sanitized dream every third Saturday in January. The Trump administration removed Martin Luther King Jr. Day (and Juneteenth) from its list of U.S. park’s “fee-free” days for 2026, now requiring standard entrance fees instead of free admission that encouraged service projects on those days. But nothing can stop our resilience and commitment to honor Dr. King’s legacy— no matter what— or who.
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The man who marched on Washington was a revolutionary who wanted our pockets full and our people protected. This MLK Day, lets skip the empty platitudes from politicians— and possibly the brunches that can wait for Sunday Funday— and celebrate his legacy in real ways with purpose this Monday.
Buy From Black-Owned Businesses for the Day
We’ve spent decades memorizing the “Dream,” but it’s time we start practicing the math. When he called for us to “anchor our external direct action with the power of economic withdrawal,” he was telling us that our dollars are the loudest protest we have. This MLK Day, lets put our money where our liberation lives—by investing in the Black businesses that have invested in us.
Acts of Kindness
We don’t need a federal holiday to tell us how to show up for one another; it’s in our DNA. But, we can use MLK Day to turn our individual kindness into collective power, especially when we reach back to pull someone else up. This Monday, honor MLK by checking on that elder who lives alone next door, drop off a meal for the single mom down the hall or pay it forward at the local Black-owned bakery.
Learn Civil Rights History
Dr. King may have been the face of the movement, but he wasn’t its only architect. This MLK Day, make it a point to learn the names that usually get relegated to the footnotes. Study the tactical genius of Bayard Rustin, the grassroots organizing of Ella Baker and the fearless leadership of Diane Nash. Because when you know the history, you realize that the “dream” was never meant to be a destination, but a call to arms.
Participate in Community Projects
Participating in community projects isn’t just about charity, it’s about the architectural work of building communities from the ground up. When you join forces with local organizers to revitalize a community center or hand out resources to the unhoused, you are joining a lineage of Black resistance that has always known how to make a way out of no way.
Straight From 
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