Poor "Kumbayah". Over time that song's gotten such a bad rap.
And it's really not a bad song, but oh what baggage it carries.

Let me clarify. I think it's a good thing that people of different races, ethnicities, nationalities, sexual orientations, religions, ages etc etc etc coming together to reflect on the life and celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

It's the touristy multicultural approach to this day that I have real problems with. By "touristy multicultural approach", I mean what I consider to be the shallow and erroneous assumption that one day out of a year [Martin Luther King Day] and one month out of a year [February, Black History Month] are all that is needed to learn about the accomplishments of certain, pre-selected & mainstream approved African Americans. Which is not to say that these persons didn't do important things, but their stories are only part of the whole.

By "touristy multicultural approach" I also mean the misguided and dangerous belief that if folks celebrate MLK Day and Black History Month, then they don't need to recognize and work through their own issues with race and racism and they don't need to work toward the eradication of this nation's institutional racism which favors European Americans and disfavors non-European Americans.

But it's a good thing if-as a result of such events, or as a result of private reflections during Martin Luther King Day, and other days-folks have a renewed resolve, and renewed energy to do their[our] part to make the world a better place.

Choose your cause/s and your strategy/ies.

And-if you are doing that which is good-more power to you!