Black & white photo of MLK Jr. delivering a speech in Washington D.C. in front of huge crowd

Martin Luther King Jr. at the March on Washington in 1963

AFP via Getty Images

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Honoring King’s Dream

January 20, 2025
By Nicole Tocco

On January 20, Americans will celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day. King was a leader of the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. He spread a message of equality for all people.

The holiday is also a national day of service. A project called Realize the Dream encourages people to volunteer all year. The name was inspired by King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. The goal is for volunteers to log 100 million hours of community service by the 100th anniversary of King’s birth, in 2029.

“Everybody can be great because everybody can serve.” —Martin Luther King Jr.

Dreaming Big 

Courtesy of Pomona Unified School District

Students from Pomona Unified School District plant flowers at a local school.

Joe Shim is a sixth-grade teacher at Pantera Elementary School in Diamond Bar, California. He’s been leading student service projects for more than 30 years. When Shim heard about Realize the Dream, he got his school involved. 

He also expanded the project in his community. Soon the entire Pomona Unified School District, which includes more than 21,000 students, was on board. They’ve done more than 18,000 hours of service in the past year.

“We’re uniting the whole school district,” says Shim. 

Courtesy of Teo Family

Allison Teo delivers 100 cat toys that she made to a local animal shelter last November.

Twelve-year-old Allison Teo is one of Shim’s top volunteers. The sixth-grader has done everything from writing thank-you notes to health care workers to collecting items for people in need. Allison says even small acts of service honor King.

“He spent his entire life making a difference in our world,” she explains. “I think he would have really liked to see us continuing his legacy through service.”

Courtesy of Pomona Unified School District

Students from Pomona Unified School District make care packages to comfort kids in need. 

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