Honoring the legacy of Dr. King, this MLK Day and every day

There is snow on the ground, a chill in the air, and everything is new again. This means one thing if you live in the Mid-Atlantic – it’s January. With January comes resolve to take stock, to evaluate what we need to improve, and to elevate our commitment to making those changes. For many, this means changing personal habits or health, yet it can also be about changing or recommitting to the values and principles that are important to us.?It is all too fitting that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, and our national federal remembrance of this iconic man, also falls in January. The celebration of Dr. King’s birthday is a reminder to reflect on his many contributions, and to do better and to be better for humankind.

January 17, 2022 will mark?the 36th anniversary of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. This day was established as a way for all Americans to remember Dr. King’s achievements and to apply his teachings of equity and inclusion for all, into our everyday lives. He was a visionary and personified these values long before many of today’s companies, brands and politicians embraced and committed to speaking boldly of these ideals. As a catalyst for the greatest movement of our time, standing shoulder to shoulder with other civil rights giants, he forever changed how we understand and respond to issues of race. His life’s work was a call to action and a call to consciousness for each of us to ensure the most basic of human rights for one another. Dr. King’s activism and advocacy paved the way for many changes. Through nonviolent resistance, he dedicated his life to the fight for social justice, and equality for people of all, colors, religions, and ethnicities – opposing racism in all its forms. He raised our collective acknowledgment and personal accountability for the egregious policies and longstanding mistreatment of our black and brown communities.

As you may know, Dr. King did all of this so effectively, that he was the youngest man at that time to ever receive the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964—at the age of 35. Tragically, at the age of 39, on April 4, 1968, with so much important work yet to do, he was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. The world stood still, shocked, in that moment. Yet, Dr. King’s work did not stand still. His ability to bring together people from all walks of life for a common cause, and to inspire the next generation to improve the world continues to this day. What a remarkable legacy!

To honor Dr. King’s life and legacy, Kaiser Permanente joins many organizations, schools and places of worship every year, for acts of service to address a host of challenges and unmet needs. This is just one way to keep his dream alive.

In recent weeks, faced with yet another surge of COVID-19 infections, we are especially aware of the dire state of our communities, especially in our communities of color. The consequences, impact, and sense of loss can, at times, feel overwhelming. Yet, we continue moving forward for the values and principles in which we believe. ?And yes, in this continuing COVID-19 pandemic, we can all use some inspiration to keep us moving in the right direction. We can find that inspiration by remembering and reflecting upon the remarkably enduring life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King.?It is when we are tired and depleted, we often find the strength and courage to do what is right. As Dr. King, shared “The time is always right to do what is right.”

And this applies not only to the efforts occurring during MLK week, this means, we can do “right” throughout the year. We can advocate for equality, and for justice for all, and we can consistently and intentionally do things to improve life for each other.

This may mean having an honest, and courageous conversation about the inequality that persists, and the violence occurring against too many communities. Or it may mean doing the hard work of confronting our own personal biases, so that we can better serve our customers, our employees, our neighbors, and our communities. We can each commit to learning more and doing more from wherever we stand.

?How can you take action now? Take a few minutes to learn about the incredible and robust work from The King Center . It is a powerful, insightful resource led by Dr. Bernice A. King , working to advance the legacy of her parents, Dr. King and Coretta Scott King. By embodying the values of Dr. King and standing for the pillars of truth, civility, and equality, for which he so strongly advocated, we can advance his dream. We can serve humankind.

Just think of all we can achieve by next January if we begin now. Will you join me?

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