As communities around Barnwell County observed Martin Luther King's birthday Jan. 18, it was encouraging to see the older generation remind the younger one of the legacy of this man.

The civil rights movement began in the 1950s. Many of the watershed events of the movement occurred in the 1960s. These events are 40 to 50 years in the past and many of the civil rights pioneers have died or are in their 70s and 80s now.

The goal of equality is still in the works and to borrow the words of John F. Kennedy, "the torch has been past to a new generation."

Along with the memorials to King, it has been encouraging to hear the emphasis made to people to better their community through service. Perhaps the slogan for the Martin Luther King Day of Service says it best: "Make It a Day On, Not a Day Off," as that event encourages community volunteerism.

Such service, especially for the underprivileged, will bring everyone a measure of decency and respect, key ingredients in equality.

Performing such community work for all people in the end will build a better monument for King than any bronze statue or marble marker could hope to achieve in noting his legacy.