EDITORIAL: We all have a part to play

Published 12:00 pm Sunday, January 17, 2021

On the third Monday of January each year, the nation pauses to honor the legacy and impact of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Like countless other activities in our lives these days, this year will be different. There won’t be large gatherings or large-scale in-person festivities. Locally, a series of virtual events are slated, but given the tumultuous events of the past year, and more specifically, the past week, perhaps this subdued MLK Day observance is just what’s needed. Without many of the annual activities, Monday is a perfect time to do some inward reflection, a deeply personal assessment of where we are in carrying out Dr. King’s civil rights mission. 

This is a time to ask ourselves what we can do beyond Jan. 18 to strengthen our communities and our engagement to help ensure that no one is left behind. In the past year, we’ve seen awareness raised with regard to racism, activism and social injustice. In many of the events we’ve seen play out over the past several months, King’s words have been recited and sometimes misconstrued. Perhaps we should all take in King’s words, his speeches and his writings, examine his message and search within ourselves to explore how we can apply them in our own lives and not just the lives of others. 

We need to turn Dr. King’s words into actionable and impactful measures in our communities.

We remember Dr. King as a crusader for civil rights, non-violence, and a messenger for conquering injustices, but he was also a strong proponent of community engagement and activism at the grassroots level to enact change. These are areas where we can all honor King daily right here at home, through school, government and community. 

There are numerous challenges before us — in our homes, our neighborhoods and all across our nation — both great and small. We are four days away from inaugurating a new president, 10 days removed from a violent siege on our nation’s capital and approaching a year into a global pandemic. Our country is at a crossroads. But this isn’t the first and it likely won’t be our last. We can overcome our challenges, our injustices and our past, and build the society King spoke so eloquently of us one-day achieving. 

We must all look deeply at ourselves and do an honest and meaningful assessment of where we are, who we are and what our role is in bringing about the change we seek. 

Only we can decide how we respond to the firestorms that surround us. This is our moment to decide.

We all have a part to play. 

Now is the time that we all must choose which side of history we want to stand upon.