Every morning when we wake up on Martin Luther King Day, we usually expect to log on to social media feeds clogged full of bland sentiments celebrating the holiday, rehashes of King's most popular and least-radical-sounding quotes, brands trying (and failing) to capitalize on the holiday, and often, at least one Facebook acquaintance who seems to be taking that "by the content of their character" thing way out of context. But just as there is much more to Dr. King than the "I Have a Dream" speech, there is much more to MLK Day on Twitter than the same handful of quotes you've read thousands of times before.
Right now, Twitter is a fantastic resource for learning new things about the civil rights icon and the movement that you may have thought you already knew everything about. It is also a great place to find lesser-known King quotes that paint a fuller picture of the man himself, as well as the movement he led, and the hopes he held for the future of America. You can find his quotes about poverty, protest, and the law that you probably didn't learn in school; important facts about the ongoing civil rights struggle in America; and crucial information about protests and marches going on throughout the United States today.
So check in on some of these great MLK-related tweets and hashtags on Twitter today — there's no better way to honor the man or his legacy than to see how much there still is to say about it, and him.
History and Facts About MLK and Civil Rights in America
MLK Day and White Privilege
How We Conceptualize MLK Day
#MLKAlsoSaid
#ReclaimMLK
Protests, Celebrations, Marches, and Direct Actions
A variety of hashtags have developed that are useful not just for honoring MLK Day, but for keeping us abreast of various protests and direct actions throughout the country today, like #Dream4Justice and #MLKShutItDown. Check them out to see what's going on in your area today, or find photos, links, and commentary about events that have already happened.
