Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, commemorating the birth of this incredible movement-builder and reminding ourselves of the continuing struggle to achieve a more just world. He would have been 82 years old this Saturday.

Today, Martin Luther King III, the Reverend’s son and president and CEO of The King Center, will be commemorating today at Ebenezer Baptist Church (where MLK preached from 1960 to his death in 1968), addressing the tragic events in Tuscon, Arizona that left 6 dead and Gabrielle Giffords in critical condition — and the need for his father’s message during this difficult time. I thought this quote of his was fitting:

Nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral questions of our time; the need for mankind to overcome oppression and violence without resorting to oppression and violence. Mankind must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression, and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love.

Feministing will be taking today off for the holiday and will resume posting tomorrow. In the meantime, don’t forget that today is not just a day of remembrance, but of service as well.

P.S. It is also Michelle Obama’s birthday today. Check out our favorite video of her below the jump. Happy Birthday, Michelle!