Celebrating the Dream: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday

Since today was a holiday around our nation to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., I felt it appropriate to pause and acknowledge the significance of this day. You may remember Dr. King as a great civil rights leader or just a Baptist minister, but we can all agree the impact of his message is still felt since his assassination in 1968. This April will mark the 40th anniversary of his death.

One of the recent movements to come from the celebration of Dr. King's birthday is the initiative to make this holiday a day of volunteerism - a day on, not a day off.

Regardless of whether you volunteered in your community today or simply paused to reflect on Dr. King's message, we trust you took some time to remember the important message he shared with the world - that civil rights must be preserved for everyone regardless of race, creed, or nationality.

The Lakeland Police Department has helped sponsor the Dr. M.L. King parade in Lakeland through financial support for the parade and the other events that occur during the week-long celebration. We are proud to be associated with this annual celebration and call upon everyone to continue our collective efforts to see Dr. King's dream come true.

- Asst Chief Bill LePere