2022, The Legacy carries on
When Dr. King spoke about “The Other America” or “Two Americas”, he wasn’t just speaking about an invisible glass ceiling or about things that were far-removed from us. He was not just calling out the material divide between the rich and the unemployed, the ideological divide between Democrats and Republicans or even the differences in opinion between people from different cultures. He was in fact also invoking the commonality that each of these “sides” have – that we are all human beings who all have the same God-given right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
I realized early on that it would take me a long time to understand all that Dr. King meant, and all that we can learn from him, but I have started to follow his message in certain key ways.
I believe that everyone deserves to have their story heard and this year it was my honor to volunteer as a student ambassador for the MLK Voice4Youth Program on March 6. This very special stage brings together youth from all across the State of Delaware to promote discourse. It is a program that mentors and encourages high school youth across the State to learn about Dr. King, transpose those learnings into their own lives and make themselves heard through not only their voices but also through their acts of servant leadership as it is only through empowered leadership can we truly make a difference.
Service to any of our fellow beings, the vulnerable and those who need hope, is what drives me.
I once saw a 7-year-old black kid selling water by the roadside in 100 degrees so he could take some money home to his nana. When I decided to volunteer at a clinic in that same area during the COVID pandemic to meet people and understand the challenges faced by them, that is when I finally understood difference between empathy and compassion. Compassion is not only that I feel with you, but I am also here, with you. Service requires trust and compassion and there’s no easier way for that, than with actual human connection as I learnt from Dr. Hal Byck and the staff, at the Jessup Street clinic.
Diversity informs. Diversity educates. There is no social justice without diversity of thought.
Social justice is not only about advocating and driving for equality, because when you understand the diversity of the people around you, the diversity of their backgrounds, the diversity of their circumstances, can you absorb that equality or equal treatment is hardly ever the solution. It is not equality but Equity or equitable treatment that is most often important.
Some of the impacts can also be unintentional, yet just as impactful.
That 3 times more black Americans died of COVID-19 despite being only 13% of the population begs us to understand deeper.
That one month into the COVID lockdowns in 2020, half of all black-owned businesses had shut down, for good, is also indicative of bigger problems in the financial space.
That 4 times more blacks file for Chapter 13 bankruptcy than white filers, continues to suggest structural challenges, that our society has to transparently recognize and address.
Approval of COVID Paycheck Protection Program funds for Black and Hispanic businesses on an average took a week longer than the approvals for businesses with white ownership.
It’s not just race, but all the factors that came together that caused this mayhem. The Blacks and Hispanic population are most vulnerable because of other socio-economic factors at play. They tend to be the most unbanked or underbanked. The Paycheck Protection Program was initially launched only through larger financial institutions, to which this population didn’t have immediate access.
80% of blacks worked in sectors that didn’t allow for remote work, making them the most vulnerable to choosing between staying safe or putting bread on the table for their children.
That child care centers were closed, resulted in many women having to leave their jobs during the pandemic to take of or educating their younger children at home.
Just like racism isn’t a singular one-dimensional word it is often made out to be, social justice is complex as well. The racism experienced by someone in a private school is not the same as the racism experienced by a black kid who wants to go to school, so he can get one meal that day. I realized that when I saw a kid walking to school, when school had been closed that day due to a snow storm.
MLK Voice4 Youth celebrates the diversity of thought within our communities. Not only are we given the opportunity to share our own stories, but we are also given the even more invaluable opportunity to learn and understand the perspectives of other individuals. We speak, we listen, and we learn.
I know that I have much left to learn, but I will leverage each moment of my time whether at MLK Voice 4 Youth or at school or at Dr. Byck’s clinic or with senior residents, as I continue to search for ways to be involved, building trust and relationships with my community. I am inspired to continue to search ways to eliminate bias and barriers to everyone’s God-given right to an unconstrained life, fearless liberty and the pursuit of undiluted happiness.
My experiences with the MLK Voice4Youth program remind me of why I do what I do. They remind me why I pursue change for the daily wage earner who has to change 3 buses to take her sick child to a doctor in the City, as well as for the millions of Americans living in rural counties that don’t even have a single hospital.
We have not really progressed until we can confidently see everyone take a step forward together. And there is a lot to do. Dr. King reminds us that it’s always the right time for hope and always the right time for action.
To put it Dr. King’s words, “Lord, we ain’t what we want to be, we ain’t what we oughta be, we ain’t what we gonna be but thank God, we ain’t what we was.”
