In honor of the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., MTV is having an honest and brave conversation about race across all screens. Share your story using the hashtag, #TheTalk. Your tweet may appear on-air, or on MTVNews.com

The history of Martin Luther King Day is super interesting. Did you know that even though Ronald Reagan declared it a national holiday in 1983, all 50 states didn't start observing MLK Day until 2000? And in some states, like Arizona, the holiday was the subject of a fierce battle. If you ask me, it seems like we need to make up for a lot of lost time.

So instead of just taking the day off, let's use the day to take action.

Here are some ideas:

Help.

President Obama’s 'United We Serve' initiative is about getting people to volunteer, and the MLK Day of Service is an important part of this. The official website has suggestions and a toolkit for how you can get involved, and it encourages people to share what they’re up to. You can even get featured on their Facebook page!

Learn.

Okay, today is still a day off. We get it. But why not use some down time to learn more about Dr. King, civil rights, and state of racial bias in 2015? If you’re looking for something to do out of the house, check out the movie "Selma" or go pick up John Lewis’s “March” graphic novel series.

March.

There are many peaceful marches and protests planned for MLK Day 2015. The King Center has a great list of marches and rallies you and your friends can attend.

Talk.

Today, in honor of the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. we're speaking up, sharing our stories, and having an honest and brave conversation about race. And we want to hear from you. Tweet your story using #TheTalk.

Share your story using the hashtag, #TheTalk. Your tweet may appear on-air, or on MTVNews.com

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