Today’s remembrance comes at a time when the consciousness of all women and men are called upon to reflect on King’s words when he said, “Whenever you are engaged in work that serves humanity, and is for the building of humanity, it has dignity, and it has worth.”
Recently, we bore witness to egregious acts of vandalism, violence, and death inside the U.S. Capitol, built in 1793 by enslaved Africans. However, with all that has happened, Dr. King’s words continue to ring true and inspire us; “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
We choose light and look toward finding solutions that unite to ensure racial, social and gender equity prevail. In two days, we will witness a presidential transition, with the swearing in of President-Elect Joe Biden; and we will celebrate the historic moment when Vice-President Elect Kamala Harris takes her oath. She will become not only the first woman Vice President in our nation’s history, but the first Vice President of Black and Indian descent.
Today marks an opportunity for genuine healing by having authentic discussions around ending racial and social injustice. As Dr. King stated, “It is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice.”
At YWCA Hartford Region, we believe in the sunlit path of democracy, freedom, and justice for all. We invite you to join us in working on that which unites us.