Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s family asks people to honor him with service, action

ORLANDO, Fla. — People all over the country will honor the contributions of civil rights icon Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday.

It’s a day when many people go out for a day of service in their community.

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King’s family is calling for this year’s holiday to be a little different.

They are asking people to honor King’s legacy, not just through the usual commemorations and acts of community service, like we are expecting to see at Aspire Health. The campus beautification includes painting the building and sprucing up the yard and flowers.

READ: Community gathers to honor Martin Luther King Jr. in Eatonville

The family wants something more ambitious: Pass federal legislation to protect the freedom to vote that King fought so hard for.

The bill would expand voter registration, designate election day as a federal holiday, establish protections against gerrymandering and restore voting rights to formerly incarcerated Americans.

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Democrats don’t have enough support for legislation including the Freedom to Vote Act.

The King family held a protest in Arizona on Sunday. Closer to home, there was a MLK day celebration over the weekend in Eatonville.

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