Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Weekend Recap

This is a guest blog by Stephen Anfield. Stephen is a non-profit consultant in D.C. and a City Year Washington, D.C. Alum.

Sunday
The HandsOn Network hosted an event called the "America's Sunday Supper." It featured celebrities and service leaders joining together in conversation and online interactive dialogue with Sunday Suppers across the United States. Inspired by the legacy of Dr. King, Sunday Supper invited people from diverse backgrounds to come together to share a meal, discuss issues that affect their community, and mobilize around the most pressing social issues. It was filmed live at the Newseum in Washington, D.C., and the panelists included: Arianna Huffington, Carl Lewis, Barton Seaver, Dikembe Mutombo, S. Leo Chiang, Michelle Nunn, Robert Egger, and Juan Williams. If you missed this event, you can watch the recording here.

Monday
Monday marked the 25th Anniversary of MLK National Day of Service. If you're not familiar with this holiday, it's part of United We Serve, the President's national call to service initiative. Each year, thousands of volunteers take part in community service projects across the United States to remember the legacy of the great Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

I had the pleasure of attending a group of amazing service projects at Kramer Middle School in SE Washington, D.C. The projects, which included landscaping and painting murals, were organized by the civic engagement experts of City Year Washington, D.C. Hundreds of people were in attendance... including United States Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan! It was truly a powerful day of service!

And Beyond...
If you missed this year's MLK National Day of Service, that's okay! The Corporation for National and Community Service has launched an initiative called the MLK 25 Challenge. It's a call for all Americans to honor Dr. King by pledging to take at least 25 actions during 2011 to make a difference for others and strengthen our communities. When you visit the site, you can get a TON of ideas for service projects. You can also visit a personal favorite of mine, Create the Good!

I'd like to give a personal shout out and BIG 42 point font THANK YOU to City Year! Each year, City Year corps members organize service projects in communities across the United States to bring people together and encourage volunteerism. I served with City Year (in Washington, D.C.), and it will always have a special place in my heart. To City Year corps members everywhere... keep up the great work! If you'd like to see other City Year sites in action on MLK Day, go here. To see City Year service sites across the U.S., go here.

Share Your Story
If you served on MLK National Day of Service, let us know! Feel free to leave a comment letting us know how you served your community. We'd love to read about what you did to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.