Every year when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday comes around, I pause, not out of obligation, but out of respect. This day feels personal. As a Black woman in America, Dr. King’s legacy isn’t something I visit once a year. It lives with me. It shows up in how I move through the world, how I raise my voice, and how I choose to hope even when it would be easier not to.

So today, I want to say it plainly and joyfully:

Happy Birthday, Dr. King.

This isn’t just a remembrance. It’s a celebration of a life that shifted this country and a reminder that we are still part of that story.

I grew up hearing Dr. King’s name spoken with reverence. Not as a fairy-tale figure, but as a man who loved deeply, believed boldly, and stood firmly in his convictions. His words echoed through our homes, churches, and classrooms, not because they were easy, but because they were necessary.

One of his questions still challenges me today:

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, What are you doing for others?”

That question has shaped how many of us were raised, to look beyond ourselves, to pull someone else up, to understand that success means little if it’s not shared.

Dr. King dreamed, yes-but his dream was anchored in action, faith, and community. He believed in an America that could grow into its better self, and he spoke to that possibility even when the evidence felt thin.

He told us:

“Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”

Being who I am, that speaks directly to my life. So many of us have built futures one unseen step at a time, trusting God, trusting ourselves, and trusting that our steps mattered even when no one was applauding.

There’s something powerful about joy being used as a tool for change.

Stevie Wonder wrote “Happy Birthday” as more than a celebration; it was a statement. At a time when Dr. King’s birthday was not yet recognized as a national holiday, Stevie used music to remind America that this life mattered and deserved honor.

That song helped move the nation, and in 1983, Dr. King’s birthday became a federal holiday.

That matters to me. Because it shows what happens when Black voices, creativity, and persistence refuse to be ignored. It’s proof that joy, faith, and justice can walk together.

We’ve made progress, real progress. Doors have opened. Voices have been amplified. Opportunities exist now that once felt unreachable.

And still, Dr. King’s words remain relevant.

He taught us that love is not weakness. That peace is not passive. That justice requires intention.

One of his most enduring truths reminds us:

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.”

In a world that can feel divided and heavy, that light still matters. And each of us carries some of it, especially when we choose compassion over comfort.

I don’t just admire Dr. King but I inherit his hope. I see it in how we lead, nurture, advocate, create, and persevere. I see it in our softness and our strength, in our joy and our resolve.

His life reminds me that grace can be firm, that love can be courageous, and that change often comes through ordinary people choosing to do the right thing, again and again.

So Today, I Celebrate

I celebrate Dr. King not just by remembering his words, but by living them.

By choosing empathy.

By standing for fairness.

By believing that progress is still possible.

Happy Birthday, Dr. King.

Thank you for the vision.

Thank you for the courage.

Thank you for reminding us that hope is an act of faith.

A Prayer for Our Country

God,

We lift this nation to You today, all the beauty of it and the brokenness of it.

We pray for unity that does not erase truth, and peace that does not ignore justice.

Give us hearts that are soft enough to love and strong enough to stand.

Heal what is divided.

Protect the vulnerable.

Guide our leaders with wisdom and humility.

And remind us that each of us has a role to play in making this country better than we found it.

Help us walk forward with grace, courage, and compassion

and let Dr. King’s legacy live on through our actions.

Amen.