As we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, some of us may ponder what his legacy to our country and by extension our world should be. How do we honor a man who is more than a figure of the civil rights movement, and an advocate for nonviolence, but a symbol of racial discourse in this country and around the world whose impact transcends the era in which he lived, and to that end, an observance of who we should strive to be in the way in which we respect, honor, and treat each other domestically and globally?
Should we honor him and his message within the sale pages of our local retailer?
It is a fact that we exist in a polarized political climate with our much touted economic division expressed in no clearer fashion than the sentiments of both the 99 and 1%, and by social issues that call into question the rights of citizens vs. the role of government, and within a country that is facing an abundance of job losses, and an often questioned foreign policy strategy. If we are to be leaders in the world, what then should we take from Martin Luther King’s message? And his message was not just about bettering the lives of African-Americans. No, not at all.
If we are to understand his message, he believed that all people should be treated fairly and equitably, and that this country should use its influence to promote understanding and acceptance, and relinquish our grip on seeking more and more power throughout. It is a misnomer to boil his message down to one group, when he really discussed with great passion the state of the world in general and our role in it.
How then is this now translated forty-five years later into a MLK Kmart sale?
Is it tasteless? Does it besmirch his legacy, or is this the natural progression of capitalism? After all we celebrate numerous holidays by spending the almighty dollar, including Memorial Day, July 4th, President’s Day, and Veteran’s Day. This is nothing new. We don’t bat an eye, even if it boils down to the crass, “These heroes died for your country so you can get $100 off that new flat screen!” Sure we understand the thoughts of the retailer. “Well, the economy is still reeling, and you’re home anyway so…” And this is true. The economy is still suffering, and it’s been tested and proven that getting people out and spending money can infuse the economy with a short windfall, especially when discussing year-end numbers after a profitable holiday season, but surely overall a few one-day sales won’t singularly lead to a complete economic rebound, given that our economy is dependent on more than just retail.
So then, it does become a bit jarring when you see the One Day Sale initiative on days that we thought were held in a different kind of esteem, especially one where the message is in contrast. Is this what King would have wanted for his memory? Did he fight for a sale day? Or could it be that he would see the benefit of it, the fact that a family could buy something they could not afford on the day before or the day after? Could even he find the altruism therein, or does it corral us all into the same materialistic din that glamorizes excess and puts value on the superficial, the fleeting, and not the common man as he spoke about at length?
There was such a fight to even get the day recognized nationally, and accepted morally in some parts of the country. It took more than ten years of lobbying, petitioning, and a retail boycott in the early 1980’s even to get legislators to take notice and deem the day important enough to mark as one of reflection and tribute. When looked at from this perspective, it seems strange to shift seeing the day as one of human reflection and assessing how we can help our neighbors, to finding the best sales without leaving our living room couches.
So then it’s probably no surprise that for some this type of shilling has pushed the little recoil button that lives deep down inside, even if you understand the mechanics of the economy, and even if some part of you can perhaps argue that the proliferation of the MLK Day sale has now become so entrenched into the fabric of Americana that Martin Luther King Jr. who for most of his life fought for equality – has now earned it in some egregiously small way by becoming associated with one of the most prolific languages this country speaks — retailinguistics. Wow, that’s a hard pill to swallow, right?
Perhaps, though, it’s about giving with one hand and taking with the other. In that if you can parse through all of the economics, and if we must share our consciousness with the consumer-based drive for the day, an offering should be made with equal emphasis for the good of our irascible capitalist souls. We should implore that there be equal emphasis put on the altruistic National Day of Service this day is also known for. The fact that MLK Day should not be a “day off” but a “day on” so says the Corporation for National & Community Service where you can find a volunteer project and actually use the day for a different purpose. Let’s see more advertisements and initiatives that talk up the “giving” part of the day and not just the “taking” part.
If there is such a thing as promoting the potential economics of MLK day, there should also be room for promoting the goodwill as well.
