New Year, new you? How about you sneak this resolution onto your list: Work together as a family for the betterment of the entire community.

January not only kick-starts 2014, it also marks Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service today (Jan. 20). The national holiday is known as “A Day ON, Not a Day Off,” as a way to honor and bring the country closer to achieving the civil rights leader’s vision of a “Beloved Community.”

DuShun Scarbrough, the Executive Director of the Arkansas Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission, says our local commission is dedicated to passing along Dr. King’s legacy to people in all four corners of the state, but especially youth. “Dr. King was assassinated in 1968 and here we are over 45 years later. As parents, we have to reach out and teach our children,” Scarbrough says. “To have this national holiday continue, it’s important that folks know about the man and what he stood for—not just to have a day off. Take a few hours and service your community. Volunteer or attend an event, to make sure that event is successful. And use it as a springboard to carry on community service through the rest of the year.”

Scarbrough is a Little Rock-native who moved to Florida to complete his master’s degree in counseling. There, he met his wife, Angela, who was also in school earning a degree in the same subject. The couple lived out of state until returning in 2008 for Scarbrough to head the state-legislated Arkansas Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission. The Scarbrough family includes 18-year-old DuShun Jr., 16-month-old Kennedy and a baby boy named Braxton, who is due in the spring. Scarbrough is invested in teaching his own children, as well as other young Arkansans, about Dr. King’s ideologies.

“My son, DJ, has been raised to accept and see everyone for who they are. I do teach him about Dr. King and embracing the ideology of love and equality. That’s how I was raised by my grandmother, Pearl Scarbrough—to love and see everyone as equal. When we look at kids today in society, are we better off? As far as racism is concerned, have we grown?” Scarbrough says. “There would be truth to saying that racism is a learned behavior. When we revitalized the commission in 2008, we realized we had to reach our youth, instill in them the right behavior and help them grow up to be great citizens of Arkansas. We’re teaching love, but hate can be taught as well. It’s learned behavior.”

The commission has launched programs for youth, including the Nonviolence Youth Summit that teaches students ages 11-18 to become “ambassadors of peace.” The summit visits different locations around the state each year, and has drawn up to 700 youth per conference. This year’s event will be held in Harrison in April.

During the month of January, families will also find events in Little Rock, Jacksonville, North Little Rock and Pine Bluff, including the MLK Birthday Bash on Jan. 15 at Little Rock’s Daisy Bates Elementary School, the Celebration of Worship-Youth Empowerment Summit at Pine Bluff’s St. James United Methodist Church on Jan. 19 and an MLK Community Empowerment Summit and Carnival at the Jacksonville Boys and Girls Club on Jan. 20. To make the events accessible to the central Arkansas community, the commission will partner with the Pine Bluff Transit, and the Central Arkansas Transit Authority Little Rock and SEAT to offer free bus rides to all event locations.

“We serve the community at large by getting families involved to follow the nonviolence principles of Dr. King,” says Scarbrough. “We want to empower families and communities to carry on that same legacy. Once we leave Pine Bluff after the events in January, we want them to carry on and keep that torch lit.”

A Month of Service

Central Arkansas will be booming with community events and service opportunities honoring Martin Luther King, Jr. Here's a sampling of MLK Day events around central Arkansas:

Monday (Jan. 20)

2014 A Day of Service—A Day On, Not a Day Off at Pine Bluff Convention Center -- This year’s main event will be held at the Pine Bluff Convention Center, and features MLK Jr.’s nephew, Isaac Farris. Following the program, all attendees will receive a free meal and drinks provided by Olive Garden and Coca-Cola. Children can play on bounce houses, while adults pick up hygiene kits, take advantage of free health screenings and more. 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. RSVP requested. For info: Arkansas.gov/MLK. FREE!

MLK Challenge at Mosaic Templars Cultural Center -- The MLK Challenge is a service program designed to engage youth ages 12-18 in volunteerism with a full day of service projects that challenge them mentally and socially. Participants will work at sites across the city. Register at MosaicTemplarsCenter.com. FREE!

MLK Community Empowerment Summit and Carnival at Jacksonville Boys and Girls Club -- A citywide clean-up will start at noon. Then, from 2-5 p.m., families are invited to the Jacksonville Boys and Girls Club for a carnival, petting zoo, free food and lots of resources. In addition to the family fun, there will be breakout sessions pertaining to financial literacy and community accountability. Plus, kids will be entering a competition which judges scrapbooks made about the life and legacy of Dr. King. Fifteen winners will each win a $50 checking account. RSVP requested. For info: Arkansas.gov/MLK. FREE!

Prayer Breakfast at North Little Rock’s Shorter College Gymnasium -- This annual event will feature Chancellor Joel Anderson of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. 7:30-9 a.m. RSVP requested. For info: Arkansas.gov/MLK. FREE!