91成人导航

At the time of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.鈥檚 assassination in 1968, the country was on the precipice of understanding how we had left large segments of society behind in ways we didn鈥檛 fully understand. Dr. King helped us to see better. In the final months of his life, he launched the Poor People鈥檚 Campaign, an economically-driven civil rights movement that linked all justice issues to a single common denominator鈥攑overty in America. 听

Fifty-five years later, significant challenges remain. As we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a federal holiday, it is imperative we re-visit his powerful words and dedicate ourselves to continuing his work.

Dr. King believed all people should have the economic means they need to live. 听
He called for a 鈥渞evolution of values,鈥� leveraging the powerful global platform he spent a lifetime building. He urged people to pay close attention to the greatest moral threat to the nation鈥檚 security鈥攖he increasing poverty among America鈥檚 children, youth and families.

Dr. King saw poverty as the intersectional issue of the time. He believed that economic insecurity leads to poor quality of life outcomes regardless of race, color, ethnicity, gender or religion. Numerous studies have shown that poverty-stricken individuals have limited access to health care, education, transportation, food and shelter. Dr. King witnessed this first-hand in every region of the United States.听

Dr. King used the Campaign for the Poor to illuminate these profound issues. His insistence on giving a preferential option for the poor and disadvantaged was a testament to his ministry as a clergyman and his leadership as a civil rights champion.听

The legacy of his work in 1968 is at the forefront of the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) work we are doing today: helping people see, reflect and act so they become aware of implicit biases and limiting beliefs and replace them with more humanizing attitudes, behaviors, and mindsets.听

As we enter 2023 as a nation polarized, I encourage us to reflect on how Dr. King鈥檚 influential voice impacted the nation to move toward a common good. 听He had a razor focus on the people who are most marginalized and vulnerable in society鈥攏o matter their birth or origin story鈥攁nd inspired us to make choices that uplift people in kind and meaningful ways.听

Mary J. Lomax-Ghirarduzzi is Vice President for DEI and Professor of Communication at 91成人导航.听
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