Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was a remarkable human being
who was willing to risk his life for what he believed passionately: social
justice for all. He lived and died for that goal. What he accomplished in his
39 years on earth has endured and made an enormous difference to people all
over the world. “Democracy is an
experiment still in progress” (MA Representative Byron Rushing in accepting an
honorary doctorate at Simmons College, May 2011). Dr. King did more than any
other American in moving this “experiment” forward.
On Tuesday, January 10, 2012, the Racial and Ethnic
Diversity Implementation Task force of The Mass Chapter of NASW held an evening
of celebration of Dr. King’s life and contributions to peace and equality. Hosted by the South End Community Health
Center (SECHC), the event brought together a wide range of people (~25)
representing social work and other human service professionals, staff and
residents of Rosie’s Place (shelter), academics, and community members.
Participants read from MLK’s speeches (“I Have a Dream,” “Where Do We Go from
Here?,” “Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech,” “Loving Your Enemy,” “Our God is
Marching On,” and “Beyond Vietnam”) that stimulated many personal reflections, as people recalled
childhood memories of family strengths during segregation and of MLK’s opening
up opportunities never before possible. While there is acute awareness of
ongoing racial inequities, the essential message during the evening discussion
was the importance of maintaining hope, persisting in non-violent strategies
towards racial and economic justice, and building a more equitable society
where people “will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content
of their character.”
Written by Jennifer Coplon, Co-Chair of Task force
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