MADD Teen Influencer
January 2025
Beloved Community 2
MLK Day of Service: Dr. King’s Vision of a
by Ben Haworth, MADD Teen Influencer
January 20th marks the 30th anniversary of honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. MLK Day of Service represents Dr. King’s vision of a “Beloved Community”, and to empower and inspire Americans to volunteer in their communities and become advocates in peaceful, nonviolent ways. By engaging in thoughtful action, we can honor Dr. King’s legacy and continue to solve social problems, creating a better, kinder world. Planning a MLK Day activity is one way to take a project or idea and bring it to action. Boycotting can often be an effective method of achieving social change. The Civil Rights Movement in the 1960’s became famous overnight for its protests against segregated buses, diners, and businesses. But perhaps this method’s effectiveness isn’t limited to the past. Vanguard and State Street are not tobacco companies, but they are the largest collective owners of tobacco stocks. E-cigarettes remain a serious health issue for young people in our country. Boycotting tobacco is the singular best way to protest the tobacco industry, not only for health reasons, but for the impact production has on the environment as well as climate change. However, the tobacco industry often will spin boycotting in their favor, taking advantage of the public’s perception. By using public relations opportunities to appear concerned or make adjustments to their practices, tobacco corporations often only use these platforms to improve their image.
MLK Day of Service is a perfect opportunity for young people to take action and speak out against the tobacco industry. Most tobacco-related boycotts tend to target the industry itself, not for the associated health risks attributed to smoking. Youth initiatives, like the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, guide young leaders to boycott the industry through education and advocacy. Peer-to- peer teaching is an effective tool to strive
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