Martin Luther King Day, like Halloween, is one of those holidays you have to brace for. People have a tendency to find the most cringe, ironic, or just plain stupid ways to honor the man’s legacy, be it teachers slurring it up and calling it Black Privilege Day, the FBI wishing everyone a happy MLK day, or some White & Case partner using MLK’s words to shame “progressives.” Thankfully, not everyone stomps on Martin Luther King’s legacy of brotherhood and enacting the parts of the gospel that don’t benefit big business or the prison industrial complex. Some of those folks? The students and faculty at Florida A&M University Law.
As part of Florida A&M University (FAMU) College of Law’s Great Day of Service, which has been sponsored by Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer’s MLK Commission, the law school will host a pop-up legal clinic on Jan. 16 from 9 a.m. to noon at 201 FAMU Law Lane, Orlando, FL 32801.
The public is invited to stop by for free legal advice and to meet attorneys, law students and organizations that will answer basic legal questions.
“It is important that we consistently strive to fulfill the charge that was issued at the time the law school was established — to serve the underserved,” said FAMU Law Professor and campus event organizer Patricia Broussard.
This is a beautiful tribute — MLK Jr. had a thing for serving the underserved. King’s words from Beyond Vietnam come to mind, especially the part of that powerful anti-war speech where he gave a no-holds-barred critique of American imperialism stating that “we are on the side of the wealthy, and the secure, while we create a hell for the poor.” Were he alive today, I think that he would see FAMU’s act of service as an example of a “radical revolution of values” emphasizing love and justice rather than economic nationalism.
Don’t just take my word for it! This MLK Day, you can walk in his and FAMU’s steps and find a way to give back to your community, or take the time to listen to MLK’s children. They, unlike the aforementioned White & Case partner, appear to have actually done the readings, listened to the sermons, and acted in ways that contribute to bringing MLK’s dream to fruition. You can find their tweets here:
You could even take heed and put some money where your ethics are! Dr. (MLK)’s orders:
Happy Martin Luther King Day, people! Let’s see if we can make it through this year without donning Blackface or using some out-of-context snippet of his to argue that Black folks shouldn’t vote or something. Till next time!
Chris Williams became a social media manager and assistant editor for Above the Law in June 2021. Prior to joining the staff, he moonlighted as a minor Memelord™ in the Facebook group Law School Memes for Edgy T14s. He endured Missouri long enough to graduate from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. He is a former boatbuilder who cannot swim, a published author on critical race theory, philosophy, and humor, and has a love for cycling that occasionally annoys his peers. You can reach him by email at cwilliams@abovethelaw.com and by tweet at @WritesForRent.
