Choosing community: Honoring Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy in a changing world

This Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I find myself contemplating the enduring power of his dream and the lessons he shared with the world. This holiday is a moment to pause—not just to remember his extraordinary life but to ask ourselves how and if we’re living up to his vision today.

This year, the holiday feels even more poignant in light of the passing of another great Georgian and humanitarian, President Jimmy Carter. Carter initially pushed for the federal holiday in 1979 before it was officially signed in 1983, ensuring that Dr. King’s legacy would be honored for generations. Both men shared a belief in the power of service, compassion, and community to create change. As we remember Dr. King, it’s worth considering how Carter’s dedication to those same values underscores the urgency of King’s message in our time.?

Looking at the world today, it’s easy to feel the weight of division and unrest. But that’s precisely why Dr. King’s call for justice, unity, and resilience is more important than ever—for society and for the way we lead in business. His dream was not just aspirational; it was a framework for how we can all serve.

Staying awake to revolution and embracing change

One of Dr. King’s most vivid metaphors comes from his retelling of Rip Van Winkle. He said:?

“Every society has its protectors of the status quo and its fraternities of the indifferent…But today our very survival depends on our ability to stay awake, to adjust to new ideas.”

Think about that for a moment: Rip didn’t just sleep for twenty years; he slept through the American Revolution. That’s a warning as much as it is a story. It’s a call to action for all of us, particularly those in leadership.

In business, revolutions are happening all around us—shifts in technology, societal expectations, and the way consumers connect with brands. Companies that cling to “the way it’s always been” risk becoming irrelevant. Dr. King reminds us that survival depends on staying awake to new ideas and acting with conviction and vision. President Carter also exemplified this in his long life, staying true to his principles and activating a vision that created a lasting impact through The Carter Center. Like Dr. King, whose activism earned him a Nobel Peace Prize, President Carter demonstrated the power of enduring change through thoughtful, values-driven leadership.

For all leaders, this means embracing change, not resisting it. It means listening—to employees, to customers, and to the communities we serve. It means being willing to rethink, reimagine, and rebuild. The world doesn’t wait for those who are asleep at the wheel.

Mutuality and the fabric of community:

“All life is interrelated,” Dr. King said. “We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. …I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. You can never be what you ought to be until I am what I ought to be.”

This idea is profound—and deeply practical. It reminds us that none of us succeeds alone. Our well-being, our progress, and our achievements are intertwined.?

In the workplace, this truth takes on even greater meaning. The best teams aren’t just a collection of individuals working in silos; they’re networks of mutual support and collaboration. When we foster diversity, equity, and inclusion, we’re not just checking a box—we’re unlocking the full potential of our teams and creating environments where innovation thrives.

At impact.com, we recognized we had room to grow in this area and took action. We introduced our Global Citizenship Initiative to encourage employees to engage in meaningful service within their communities and support them in those efforts. We also deepened our commitment to diversity by partnering with organizations like PowerToFly and Women In Tech, working to attract and retain diverse talent while fostering an inclusive workplace where everyone can thrive.?

It doesn’t stop there. Partnerships, collaborations, and industry-wide efforts strengthen not just our businesses but our entire communities. Dr. King’s vision of mutuality is both a moral imperative and a strategy for long-term success.

Choosing community over chaos:

In one of his most urgent calls to action, Dr. King said:

“We still have a choice today: nonviolent coexistence or violent co-annihilation. This may well be mankind’s last chance to choose between chaos and community.”

Those words resonate deeply in today’s fractured world. In business, we face our own version of chaos. Trust in institutions is declining, cultural divides are widening, and younger generations—particularly Gen Z—are seeking something more from businesses: community, connection, and authenticity.

A recent study from Archrival and Tumblr found that 85% of Gen Z believe it’s important for brands to create a sense of community. At the same time, 69% feel they’re not part of one. This isn’t just a statistic—it’s a wake-up call. The Surgeon General’s recent advisory on the loneliness epidemic highlights the same point: people crave belonging.?

As businesses, we have an opportunity, and a responsibility, to help address this social recession.? We can create spaces where people feel seen and valued, where collaboration thrives, and where shared purpose drives everything we do. Building a community isn’t just good for people; it’s good for business.

Reaching the mountaintop and honoring Dr. King’s legacy:

In his final speech, Dr. King spoke of reaching the mountaintop—a vision of resilience, unity, and hope for the future. He knew the path wouldn’t be easy, but he also knew it was worth it.?

For businesses, this means empowering our teams to think ambitiously and take bold steps toward progress. It means fostering environments where creativity and purpose intersect. And it means aligning our actions, not just our words, with values that contribute to a fairer, more just world.

Dr. King’s dream wasn’t just about what’s possible; it was about what’s necessary. And we honor him by embodying that same spirit of determination and service.

A personal note:

Dr. King’s teachings have always inspired me. His belief in the power of community and shared purpose shapes how I approach leadership. With our company’s leadership team, we are working to ensure our organization is not just a workplace but a space where people can feel connected, valued, and driven by a sense of purpose. While we strive for this ideal every day, we recognize there is always more to learn and do to live up to these principles.

As we reflect on his legacy this MLK Day, that image of the mountaintop sticks with me. Dr. King knew the climb would be steep and the journey long, but he also knew that together, we could make it.

In many ways, every business, every team, and every individual has its own mountaintop to reach. The path may be challenging, but the view from the summit—a future built on collaboration and shared purpose—is worth every step.

Let’s honor Dr. King by continuing the climb, never wavering. We must stay awake and address the changes around us, foster mutuality and common purpose, and choose community over noise and chaos.

As President Carter’s life and legacy have shown us, the mountaintop of Dr. King’s dream is within reach. We only need to keep moving forward, together.