The Atlanta-based Martin Luther King Center, which is devoted to Martin Luther King Jr.'s nonviolence philosophy, urged for the national holiday in memory to become a "No Shots Fired" day, according to Center's page.
The holiday is marked with parades and speeches, but the King Center said merely commemorating King's breakthrough with civil issues is not enough, adding that more needs to be done by Americans as a group to eliminate poverty and racism, Reuters reported.
The Center called for the entire world to "abstain from all forms of violence" on Monday in a new campaign launched to highlight the sweeping efforts needed to ensure equality for all, according to the Center.
"Let's honor Dr. King by abstaining from violence on his holiday," the Choose Nonviolence campaign urges. By all forms of violent, the Center means violent images, lyrics, video games and even violent language.
The recent No Shots Fired Day initiative is just one of many the Center has launched, including a 100 days of nonviolence campaign.
"Dr. King's philosophy of nonviolence is more relevant, I believe, than it was 10 years ago," King's daughter, Bernice, told Reuters. "America has an enormous appetite for violence. I don't know why we have such an affinity for that, but I do know it has to stop."
Bernice, who is the chief executive officer of the King Center, was highlighting the recent spike in shootings happening all over the country in schools, supermarkets and movie theaters, according to Reuters.
Rev. King was born in Atlanta on Jan. 15 1929 and is celebrated every third Monday in January. He was assassinated on April 4, 1968 while he was in Memphis, the Times reported.
