trends

A call to action

By Melissa Bradley

January 18th, 2021

trends

A call to action

By Melissa Bradley

January 18th, 2021

This Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we are challenging ourselves and our partners to do more than celebrate.

We find ourselves in the midst of a pandemic, expanding wealth gap and at one of the most critical moments in American history.

Black-owned businesses and Black employees across America contribute tremendously to the innovation and well-being of our nation, something we see every single day in our own team and community. Yet, it is clear our nation has not repaid that debt.

This Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we are challenging ourselves to do more than celebrate the accomplishments, creativity and excellence that Dr. King fostered in his own life and inspired in millions of people.

Instead of talking about equality on this MLK Day, we believe it is time to DO equality. Across our organization, operational structure, projects, budget, payroll, we are focusing on action and asking our partners and community to do the same, in honor of Dr. King.

Instead of using words like ‘empower’ and ‘celebrate’ we believe the legacy of Dr. King asks us to focus on words like ‘hire’ and ‘pay’ and ‘promote’ and ‘invest’ …and to actually DO those things.

As ever, we continue to be grateful for the vision of Dr. King and the legacy that lives on through Corretta Scott King and the entire King family.

Because of that gratitude, we’ll leave you not with an inspirational quote about healing or unity but instead a call to action via Dr. Bernice A. King, CEO of the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, along with an accompanying list of resources.

Goodnight, family.

I encourage you:

Let a love-centered, generationally-influencing FOR be your fuel.

Know what you are FOR.

Commit to BEING what you are FOR.

The FOR determines the focus, the fluidity and the fruit.

Against is a response.
FOR is a posture.
— Be A King (@BerniceKing) January 14, 2021