Celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Posted Friday, January 14, 2022
Dear Colleagues,
Martin Luther King Jr. Day next Monday celebrates the historic legacy of a man who brought profound hope and healing to America. His words then – and today – are truly awe-inspiring, and they reflect a life dedicated to standing up for freedom and justice against all the odds. (We encourage you to learn more about Dr. King and support the Beloved Community framework as described by the King Center.)
At UC Davis Health, we believe that Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a day to reflect and take action on behalf of the marginalized, and an opportunity to raise awareness about injustice and advocate peaceful ways to overcome. As Dr. King once said, “Our goal is to create a beloved community, and this will require a qualitative change in our souls as well as a quantitative change in our lives.”
Toward this, I’m happy to let you know that our Office of Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion has been chosen to host a Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation Center. Created by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the truth, racial healing and transformation framework has launched in cities and colleges across our nation. Our center will be a hub for all community building circles for our internal and external community members, and we’re honored to have been accepted by the American Association of Colleges and Universities for this high distinction.
Next week, in honor of the MLK Jr. holiday, we invite you to engage in the following events:
- Noon, Tuesday, Jan. 18 – National Day of Racial Healing. Join us for discussions on creating a brighter future for everyone starts with racial healing. It’s about bringing communities together to create new ones built on foundations of relationship-building, truth-telling and racial equity; healing and solidarity; and transformative action. RSVP here.
- 6-7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 19 – Virtual Healing Circle. Join us as we come together to build community and create a space rooted in our shared humanity. RSVP here.
- Noon to 1:30 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 20 – Growing as a Community: Racism as a Public Health Crisis. Join us for a discussion on the role that race plays in Public Health and climate justice. RSVP here.
- Noon to 1:30 p.m., Friday, Jan. 21 – Ain’t I a Woman: A Dialogue for Womxn & Femmes of Color on Being ‘Enough’ as Leaders. This dialogue-based session will highlight the specific challenges that womxn/femmes of color deal with while being in leadership roles. RSVP here.
We’re also planning to create an eye-catching and informative MLK Jr. “Beloved Community” flyer that will launch with UC Davis’ upcoming Principles of Community week, the theme of which will be “Creating the Be Loved Community.”
Furthermore, I’d like to reflect on the historic significance of Dr. King himself. He was born in Atlanta in 1929, the son of a Baptist minister. He received a doctorate degree in theology and in 1955 organized the first major protest of the civil rights movement – the successful Montgomery Bus Boycott. Influenced by Mohandas Gandhi, King, a powerful orator, advocated nonviolent civil disobedience to racial segregation.
The peaceful protests he led throughout the American South were often met with violence, but King and his supporters persisted, and the movement gained momentum, ushering in a new era for people of color – yet, much more work remains to be done, so let’s continue his profound work today. If you’d like to read more about Dr. King, I refer you to the National Civil Rights Museum’s perspective on his legacy.
Finally, I am always deeply moved by the letter Dr. King wrote while in the Birmingham jail in 1963, and would like to share this with you: “I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” Dr. King wrote the letter because he had been unjustly arrested for taking part in peaceful protests and marches in Birmingham.
Let us not sit idly, instead we can come together to pick up the torch of justice and light the way to a brighter future where love prevails and justice reigns for all!
In community,
Mercedes Piedra, M.S.
Director of Healing Centered Education
Director of Prep Medico Pre-Med Pathway Programs
Co-Director of Maternal Child Health Careers/Research Initiative
Office for Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion