Today, as we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I hope you find a few moments to reflect upon his legacy. We often talk about King鈥檚 work for social justice more than his tactics, but today it seems especially important to remember that King was committed to dignified, respectful and peaceful tactics in his struggle for justice and equality.
We live in a world marred by crudity, harshness, and increasing communal violence, not to mention brutal terrorist attacks and war. Too many people believe their goals can only be accomplished by such means. Too many of us have forgotten the value of civility. In that spirit, take a moment to read these inspiring words from King鈥檚 most famous moment, his 鈥淚 have a dream鈥� speech:
"In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. 鈥� So even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."
The contrast between King鈥檚 inspirational tone and the poisonous exchanges of today鈥檚 political gaslighting and ad hominem insults is stark. In that same speech, King spoke of his faith that 鈥淲e will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood.鈥� Surely, if he watched today鈥檚 cable and internet news or accessed social media and saw its stream of vitriol and cascading hate, he would be saddened.
Saddened, yes. But he would never, never, give up 鈥� he would simply double down on dignity, respect, and peaceful protest. And so, neither can we give up. We can work toward the causes and missions that matter to us while staying true to our own principles and our own sense of moral clarity.
We should model our own conduct not only on King鈥檚 deportment and commitment to non-violence, but also his emphasis on service: 鈥淟ife鈥檚 most persistent and urgent question is, 鈥榃hat are you doing for others?鈥欌�� There are multiple opportunities to do so 鈥� whether through your work every day teaching, discovering and healing, or through USF Health programs such as Tampa Bay Street Medicine and the USF Health BRIDGE Clinic or volunteer work in the wider Tampa Bay community at whatever school, religious institution, non-profit group or cause matters most to you. As we work together at Making Life Better, we must do so in the spirit of dignity, respect, and peace.