Gregory Freeman Honoring Dr. King, A Proposal. P-D 1/17/1993

Headline: HONORING DR. KING: A PROPOSAL
Byline: By Gregory Freeman

Publication: ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Date: Sun. Jan. 17, 1993
Section: NEWS , Page: 4B, Edition: FIVE STAR

IN THE mid-1980s, when the birthday of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. became a holiday, the holiday's advocates knew what they didn't want the birthday celebration to become.
     Their greatest fear was that the holiday would become commercialized. They were worried that the holiday would be exploited. They feared such things as department stores holding Martin Luther King Day sales or television ads featuring companies that announce that while their products may not be "free at last," they'll be reduced considerably on King's birthday. For the most part, that has not happened.
     But those who pushed the holiday were not terribly clear on what they wanted the celebration to become.
     As a result, millions of people across the country will be off work or out of school on Monday for King's birthday. But many of those people won't actually celebrate that day because they won't know how. Certainly, most cities will have programs, parades and worship services. But apart from that, there are few ways to celebrate the holiday individually.

The Rev. Wiley Burton wants to change all that.
     Burton lives in Pioneertown, Calif., part of San Bernardino County. He hopes to start a tradition in which people will celebrate the day by inviting friends, neighbors and co-workers of different cultures to their homes for lunch or dinner.
     "The concept is simple," Burton said. "Invite a person from another culture for a meal to discuss cultural differences. Breaking bread together is the most ideal way to get to know someone of another culture because meals are something that all cultures have in common. It could be the perfect way to share different cultures, different ideas - even different recipes."
     Burton came up with the concept for the individual celebration a couple of years ago. "I was talking to a group of kids from different backgrounds who wanted to know how they could become involved in the King holiday," said Burton, who is black. "Even my two daughters, who were 13 and 14 at the time, felt that there should be some way for others to become more involved. It bothered me that everyone didn't feel as if they could fully participate in the holiday."

At the time, Burton was busy working on a book. But in the last year, he has been trying to establish "breaking bread" as part of the holiday. "There was a feeling of people I talked to that the holiday had been much too one-sided," said Burton. "Some people seemed to be left out. With most holidays, there's generally a mutual bond that let's all people enjoy them and celebrate them. To some extent, that seems not to be the case with the King holiday. It's often looked upon as a black holiday instead of as an American holiday."
On Monday, neighbors in several American cities - and some people in Canada and Mexico - will celebrate the holiday over lunch and dinner. During those meals, they will discuss each other's culture and learn what they have in common, forming what Burton calls "unity in our community." Those celebrations will be the result of Burton's efforts to push the celebration. "There's been a great response," he said. "It seems that there are so many people who wanted to participate but didn't know how. And the idea of people really talking to one another seems like something that's really needed today. It's an idea that's in the tradition of Dr. King."

Burton, who is married to singer Nancy Wilson, knows that's the case. He says he has met King's widow, Coretta Scott King, and discussed what he was doing. "She loved the idea," he said.

To help push the idea, Burton's developed an invitation/greeting card for the holiday. It can be used simply to wish someone a happy King day, or it can be used to invite people to a home for lunch or dinner. The card, which briefly explains the concept, is written in English, Spanish and Korean.
"I included languages other than English because I didn't want others to be left out," he said. "I can't use every language, but I hope that what I have on the card helps."

Burton hopes that the idea catches on.
"Dr. King's birthday seems to be the ideal day to celebrate unity," Burton said. "It's the perfect day to serve as a catalyst for people to get together and promote racial harmony. Today more than ever our nation needs a real sharing of our cultures to bring us together."

Daniel Schesch - Webweaver

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