As a little girl growing up with southern grandparents I would hear “Back in the day…” or “This here is nothing, when I was your age…” before one of the elders begin to tell a long-winded story. At first, I would think to myself “here we go again” but as I grew up those stories resonated with me, and then I begin to really view the world with a different lens.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s leadership during the American Civil Rights Movement paved the way for so many. His fight was for racial equality, through nonviolent acts but by the power of words was momentous. His belief of men and women regardless of color or principles are equal. Dr. King led marches and boycotts for desegregation, labor rights and African American’s right to vote.
The fight continues today. Though we have made progress, racial equality is still a war we are fighting continued irresolution and contradictions. Dr. King said “..injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere…” We shall not separate ourselves by what the eye presents as different but the similarities we share. A world where racism, hatred, and violence present are a world with no dignity. We must commit to understanding and being compassionate.
Dr. King’s principle of nonviolence was a way to encourage people to be civil, understanding one another and choosing to love instead of hate. Dr. King’s Day of Service is a day of remembrance, honor, and appreciation for a great leader who had a big vision.
Shamecca DeJarnette
Clinician V
Downtown Buffalo Counseling Center
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