MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY

Texas has joined California as the only other state in the nation with a population of more than 30 million, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

HOUSTON – Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a Baptist minister, activist and prominent leader in the civil rights movement. Dr. Rudy Rasmus, Pastor of St. John’s Downtown, shares an in-depth look at King’s book Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community? “If you read the text in this book, it sounds like we are reading it this week, but in actuality Dr. King wrote this in 1967 at that very critical moment in civil right history,” said Rasmus. Rasmus explains that King wrote the novel while secluded in Ocho Rios, Jamaica with his wife, Coretta Scott King. To connect with Dr. Rudy Rasmus, visit the Rudy Rasmus website.

Much like other holidays, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day will likely have a different dynamic this year, considering the ongoing pandemic.

HOUSTON – In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, organizations across Houston are using the holiday to further his legacy through acts of service throughout the community. Martin Luther King Jr. Day -- observed each year on the third Monday in January -- is recognized as a day of service, according to the AmeriCorps. Here are opportunities to get involved in the Houston area:MLK Day of Service at Houston Food BankWhen: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday, January 18Where: Houston Food Bank at 535 Portwall St. Details: Houston Food Bank will gather non-perishable donations to include in Backpack Buddy sacks for food-insecure schoolchildren. Martin Luther King Day of ServiceOrganizer: Villanova University Club of HoustonDetails: Participate in a virtual food-drive by purchasing items from Houston Food Bank’s Amazon wishlist.