Why Dr. King’s legacy is not confined to a day

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day for me isn’t a day on the calendar. It is a reflection. It forces me to pause and look in the mirror to see whether I’m showing up in ways that uphold the beliefs Dr. King unapologetically stood for every day of his life. As a leader, teammate and human being.

Dr. King knew that justice is something you do, not something you have. Something you embody. You see it in whether people are treated with dignity, whether families have access to opportunities, when communities are permitted to prosper. 

Because of Dr. King’s work, we know inequity was not an accident. And that progress was never going to be easy. It requires discipline. Courage. Showing up, day after day. 

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is recognized nationally as a day of service. I don’t think it stops there. Or on one day.  

Service is showing up for each other in moments that no one else will see. Service lives in our day-to-day actions. In how we choose to listen. In how we react when something doesn’t feel right. In how we show we care about others, especially when it may feel easier not to. 

Dr. King talked about our collective humanity. He dreamed that Black and brown people would be fully seen and valued as human beings, because he understood that no one is truly free while others are denied their humanity.  

This is just as true today. I think of service as how we take care of each other and our community — with responsibility and accountability.  

As United Way of Central Indiana’s director of culture and belonging, Martin Luther King Jr. Day reminds me that belonging isn’t something you can announce at the beginning of a new policy, initiative or team meeting. It’s how we behave with each other daily. It’s created when people feel trusted and comfortable showing up as their authentic selves. It’s how we hold each other accountable in a way that prioritizes caring over correction. 

Honoring Dr. King’s legacy means we can’t simplify his messages down to catchy quotes that sound nice. When we take the time to pause on this day, I think about the tough questions: How am I wielding my power? Who do I center in my decision-making? Where can I grow? In doing so, we ensure our actions match our words.  

As you move through today and the days ahead, what is one small, intentional way you can practice service through everyday actions? 

Crystal Wigfall joined United Way of Central Indiana as the director of culture and belonging in December 2025.