Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr was born on January 15, 1929. Today, we celebrate his birthday and honor his legacy. A few months ago, I had the opportunity to visit Washington, D.C. on a business trip - I went running around all the monuments and stopped by the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial to read a few of his quotations. It truly is a remarkable monument to a remarkable man - it is hard to imagine what life would be like in the United States today without the work that so many of our nation's great civil rights leaders, including Dr. King, did in some of the darkest times in our history. Here we are, just a few days shy of the final day of our nation's first African American President's second term (and arguably, if he had been allowed to run for a third term, he probably would have won). The irony of what that means, juxtaposed with some of our nation's more recent struggles is not lost on me this MLK Jr Day.
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial has a vision statement that I think summarizes very eloquently how we should celebrate Dr. King's legacy - today and in the future. The official vision statement reads as follows:
Dr. King championed a movement that draws fully from the deep well of America's potential for freedom, opportunity, and justice. His vision of America is captured in his message of hope and possibility for a future anchored in dignity, sensitivity, and mutual respect; a message that challenges each of us to recognize that America's true strength lies in its diversity of talents. The vision of a memorial in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. is one that captures the essence of his message, a message in which he so eloquently affirms the commanding tenants of the American Dream – Freedom, Democracy and Opportunity for All; a noble quest that gained him the Nobel Peace Prize and one that continues to influence people and societies throughout the world. Upon reflection, we are reminded that Dr. King's lifelong dedication to the idea of achieving human dignity through global relationships of well being has served to instill a broader and deeper sense of duty within each of us— a duty to be both responsible citizens and conscientious stewards of freedom and democracy.
These are truly powerful words to live by - they inspire us and they challenge us. Dr. King once said, "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” We stand now in times of challenge and controversy, and now, more than ever, is when we need true leaders that can help us find our way.
We stand on the precipice of tremendous change in health care. Dr. King also once said, “Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane.” The incoming presidential administration has already promised to "repeal and replace" Obamacare (the Affordable Care Act) - whether you support the law or oppose the law, there are certain elements of the law that have accomplished a lot of good.
I think Dr. King would have been proud of all the things that we have accomplished since his death. But we still have a long way to go. Today, we are reminded of how much we have accomplished and how much work there is left for us to do. Thank you, Dr. King.
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