Americans, on this national holiday, need to reflect on a man who stood for respect, dignity and equality. Today, we remember the work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Though schools, post offices, municipal offices and banks are closed, many other businesses are operating. That does not lessen the importance of the day.

Our country, unfortunately, has been at a crossroads in recent years when it comes to diversity. Controversial topics that continue to divide this nation include immigration, race relations and a lack of respect in the political arena.

On this day, we have to put all that aside and attempt to find more common ground. It begins by listening. No one becomes educated or informed by touting their views.

In 2018, state Supreme Court Justice E. Jeanette Ogden of Buffalo spoke during a Martin Luther King Jr. luncheon in Dunkirk. She rightly noted how attitudes need to change at home before it can happen elsewhere.

“It has to be done by us,” she said. “We as citizens and as human beings must be willing to accept people who are different from ourselves. We all have different stories for common hopes, common dreams and common aspirations.

“We may not all look the same or come from the same place, but we all want to move in the same direction. And that’s a better future for our families.”

That, essentially, is what Dr. King advocated for years. More than four decades after his death, we continue to struggle toward that goal.