Please don’t dismiss this week’s celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Join me in re-familiarizing ourselves with the story of his life by reading his biography and listening to the ever-powerful “I have a dream” speech.
My friend Gretchen who substitute teaches once told me that she asked her class who today’s heroes are. The group couldn’t really come up with any. Maybe some athletes, but overall the exercise left everyone asking who deserves this title today? Who is doing work that addresses the big issues?
Thankfully there are a LOT of heroes in our world who are spending their days working on those big issues. On the other hand, there is always room for more stand-outs that can galvanize our country and world, such as people like Dr. King who sacrifice their lives for the good of man and society.
The quote above is my favorite of King’s. It resonates with me and I hope it does with you. What issues have we been silent about? If you haven’t shared your concern and taken action to help improve a situation, that is silence. This could be as easy as walking past litter in your own neighborhood, or as complex as taking on the hate that impacts our world.
(A shout out to my friend Mindy Corporon and family who are working toward improvement in this area via their foundation and their annual week long event bringing awareness to these issues.)
No matter what issue you have a passion for, please don’t be silent. It’s a new year – and decade! – and I’m glad we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday this month as we kick off and renew our commitment to what is important in our country.
While you are at it, if you have children in your life, encourage them to identify those issues and begin to step forward as a leader to truly impact our world for the positive. I’m confident that today’s youth have what it takes to ensure that America continues to be the greatest country in the world.