NEW YORK, United States (CMC) — Caribbean legislators in New York are on Monday joining elected officials, the Caribbean community and other stakeholders in celebrating the life and legacy of the slain American civil rights leader, Dr Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King Day (MLK Day) is celebrated on January 19 as a public holiday in the United States (US).

“We are reminded of the moral clarity and courage that defined Dr King’s leadership,” said New York City Council member Crystal Hudson, whose grandmother hailed from Jamaica, in a message to constituents.

“In 1968, just months before his assassination, he offered a charge that still resonates today: ‘We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope,” she said. “That call continues to ground us in moments of challenge, urging us to lead with love, to remain disciplined in the pursuit of justice and to refuse indifference in the face of harm and hate.”

Hudson noted that communities across Brooklyn, New York are coming together to honour King’s life and legacy through service, reflection and collective action.

She said MLK Day is not only a time to commemorate history, but an opportunity to “recommit ourselves to the values Dr King fought for and the work that remains unfinished”.

“We approach this moment during a period of profound national uncertainty. In Brooklyn, we know the power of community. Time and again, our neighbours have shown that resilience is built through care for one another, and that progress is made when we move forward together with intention and resolve,” she said.

Hudson added, “Dr King believed that justice demands action and that silence is never neutral.”

“As we mark MLK Day, we are called to raise our voices clearly and collectively in pursuit of dignity, equality and freedom. The work has never been easy, but it has always been necessary,” she said.

She urged the Caribbean community to join her in honouring Dr King’s legacy by “continuing the struggle he so boldly advanced and taking part in the events happening throughout our community”.

Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson, whose father hailed from Trinidad and Tobago, told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) that she will participate in a community interfaith celebration that pays tribute to the legacy of the late civil rights leader “who, through non-violent activism, helped spearhead several groundbreaking changes to federal and state laws in the United States”.

With this year’s theme, “Building Community, Uniting a Nation the Nonviolent Way”, Gibson said she will share reflections on “how Dr King`s vision continues to shape our nation, our city and borough”.

The Brooklyn Democratic Party is also urging the public to honour the legacy of King at one of the Day of Service events on Monday.

“The only federal holiday designated as a ‘Day of Service’, MLK Day carries a meaningful purpose for reflection and giving to the community,” said Party Chair, Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, the daughter of Haitian immigrants.

“This year, the legacy of Rev Dr Martin Luther King, Jr and his vision for a country bound by hope and equality could not carry more profound significance,” added the representative for the 42nd Assembly District in Brooklyn.

“There may be no school, but we take action on this ‘day on’, not ‘day off’ to honour Dr King’s legacy of fighting for justice through civic engagement, volunteering and service,” she added.