Inside the visitor center at the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site at 450 Auburn Ave. in 2017. JOHN SPINK /JSPINK@AJC.COM

Whether it’s a day of volunteering or quiet reflection, Atlantans honor King.

By Mary Welch for the AJC January 7, 2022  -- “The Martin Luther King holiday is not a day to ‘take off’ but to ‘take on’,” says Jay Cranman, president and CEO of Hands On Atlanta. “Dr. King believed in serving and uplifting the community, and a project day of service certainly honors Dr. King and his work.”

Jan. 17 marks the 36th anniversary of the King holiday and to many, it’s another day off from work. But to millions across the country — if not the world — it’s a day to honor the man and the civil rights movement by lifting up the community. Atlanta, of course, takes pride in being the birthplace of the civil rights movement as well as the final resting place of King. Before the pandemic, there were parades and multiple celebrations across the metro area. Today, it is more subdued and some organizations are rolling back, going virtual or cancelling activities.

Still there are plenty of ways to honor King. Hands On Atlanta, which connects citizen volunteers and socially responsible companies to nonprofits and schools in need, has partnered with the King Center, the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, Morehouse College, the Atlanta History Center, and Points of Light in an effort to reinforce King’s “Beloved Community.”

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