We were surprised to learn, in the days leading up to the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday that there were no formal observances planned in the Clayton area.
Disappointed is more like it.
King, more than just about any non-presidential figure in recent American history, has arguably had the greatest impact on our daily lives of any other person we can think of.
Our nation collectively agreed some 25 years ago - in 1986, to set aside a day to remember King's contributions to society.
And, yet, no one in Clayton seems to have picked up that mantle and urged others to remember his contributions.
Instead, Monday was merely another day off in the litany of annual Monday holidays for Clayton residents.
Now, we know there was a large gathering in Smithfield on Monday to observe King's life. And, to be sure, there were Clayton residents in attendance.
But our community has an opportunity to put its own stamp on King's importance.
And, so, we challenge each of you to consider just how Clayton might pick this ball up next year and avoid letting another year pass by with nary a whisper about America's most significant civil rights leader.
A King observance doesn't have to be established an operated by the town government. In fact, most observances we are aware of are not town-sponsored events.
Churches, civic organizations and local civil rights supporters are all appropriate institutions to take on this responsibility.
We should be sorry there was no observance in Clayton this year.
But, more importantly, we should work to ensure that the same oversight doesn't happen again next year.
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