Everybody loves a day off. I know I do — a chance to relax, a long weekend and in the case of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a reprieve before the spring semester kicks into high gear.

But with perks like that, the real meaning of the holiday can get lost far too easily.

When students were engaging in die-in protests during finals week, I was shocked at the negativity I was hearing from my peers, of all ages and colors. Some complained of the inconvenience of having to step over students to meet up with study groups. Others were sympathetic to the message, but complained about the timing of it. Hey, of course black lives matter, they said, but I have a 7:45 a.m. final.

The thing is, activism can’t rely on convenience. If we were all to sit around and wait for the timing to be right for genuine social change, I have a feeling we would be waiting forever.

Nobody understood that better than King. And that’s what this coming Monday celebrates — his fearlessness to demand civil rights no matter the obstacle placed in front of him.

I’m not a person of color, so I won’t claim to understand the challenges they face even now, in 2015. But I was proud to see so much activism last semester, and I hope like hell that it continues, no matter how inconvenient it may be to the administration, to police or to protesters’ peers.

King’s message is still incredibly relevant today, especially to the MSU community as it partakes in marches, protests and town halls to bring serious issues to light. Even if those actions don’t directly affect you personally, have respect for them.

Enjoy Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Sleep in, spend time with friends and family, get a jump start on this semester’s homework. But remember the man and remember his message, and don’t let the day go by without doing so.

Celeste Bott is the editor-in-chief of The State News.