I had not yet been born when, on April 4, 1968, an assassin’s bullet claimed the life of Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis, Tennessee.

I did not live through the tumultuous era when people marched, proptested and literally fought for their civil rights. But I am grateful that they did so, and I also am disappointed that their valiant efforts have not yet yielded the results they had hoped and prayed for — equality and justice for everyone, regardless of their race, creed, gender or ethnicity.

On Monday, America will pause to honor the memory of King, a Baptist minister, activist, husband, father and friend who moved people all across the nation and around the world with his commitment to nonviolent resistance to all forms of discrimination.

As we mark Martin Luther King Jr. Day, banks, government offices, courts and many schools will be closed. But taking a day off is not what the observance should be about. Instead, it should be a time to reflect on injustices that we have seen or experienced and to contemplate ways that we can stamp those out as we move forward , together, as a nation.

King led marches and gave speeches in support of giving men and women of all skin tones the right to vote. He battled for desegregation in schools, on public transportation and everywhere. He fought for the common worker and labor rights, as well as for civil rights of every type.

In 1963, he led the March on Washington and delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. He moved on two years later to help organize the Selma to Montgomery marches that sought to overturn Jim Crow laws and secure voting rights.

Not only did he work tirelessly in support of these causes, but he was involved in standoffs with authorities. He went to jail on multiple occasions. He was the target of spying efforts by the FBI, he was secretly recorded, and he received many threats.

Despite all of that, he stood against poverty and against the Vietnam war. He always advocated for peace, even in the face of potentially violent opposition.

He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 for his fight against racial inequality through nonviolent means.

All of that came to an end for King in 1968, when a fatal shot took him away from his family, his cause and our country. And while others took up the mantle after his death, it is apparent to me that, even today, not enough progress has been made.

Some people in the United States still fear and condemn others simply because they are different. Whether that discrimination is based on race, religion or some other, misguided idea, it is wrong.

It is past time for us to end hateful remarks, prejudices and discriminatory policies and practices.Each and every American — no matter their family history, country of origin, skin color, gender or economic status — is entitled to the same rights as all others. We all deserve to be respected and to be able to freely exercise out rights to vote, to worship, to free speech and so much more.

I sincerely hope that those things — the things King dreamed of for himself and for everyone — do become a reality in my lifetime. Let’s all take some time Monday to consider how we might be able to help make that change.

“We may have all come on different ships, but we’re in the same boat now.”

— Martin Luther King Jr.