By: James B. Ewers Jr. Ed. D.
The life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a tapestry of courage, hope and enlightenment. His ongoing goal was to help other people. Dr. King was and still is the signature voice of the Civil Rights Movement.
He walked in places many feared to tread. The marches and protests orchestrated by him were life changing. Dr. King’s inspiration gave others aspiration, so that the work he started could be continued.
His day is celebrated on Monday, January 20. It will be a day of service and a call to action. Evil and wrongdoing do not rest so neither can we as we conquer it.
Being in his presence and shaking hands with him when I was a student at Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte NC will forever be etched in my spirit.
Many people are wondering today about the unrest in the world. It seems that at every corner there is discord and disharmony.
Basic human rights and dignity are on the brink. Now in many circles, we have unscrupulous people doing unthinkable things.
Showing goodness and mercy are not popular traits to have these days. We are simply out to get one another.
Our first month of the year has already been challenging with the terrorist attack in New Orleans where 14 people lost their lives and 35 people were injured.
City officials have brought in William Bratton who was the police chief in both New York and Los Angeles, two of the largest cities in the country. He will be assisting the city in developing plans to better secure it from further attacks and to make people feel safe as they move around the city.
New Orleans Police Chief, Anne Kirkpatrick said, “He is here to serve all of us. This is a community endeavor.” Mr. Bratton is the chair for the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security’s Advisory Council.
America lost one of its former presidents as Jimmy Carter passed away on December 29th at 100 years old. His wife, Rosalynn Carter passed away on November 19th, 2023. They had been married for 77 years. They were a power couple before the term was used.
President Carter brokered the peace talks between Egypt and Israel in 1978. His post-presidency with Habitat for Humanity and the creation of the Carter Center were historic milestones in his exemplary life. President Joe Biden said of President Carter, “Today, many think he was from a bygone era. But in reality he saw well into the future.”
Days have come and gone with the fires burning tragically in Los Angeles County. Reports say that currently six fires are out of control. So far, 16 people have lost their lives. Officials believe there are more, however they can’t get into the neighborhoods to gain a true count.
CNN reports there are hundreds of homes with billions of dollars in damage that have occurred. The homes of countless men and women have been destroyed. Aerial views of the devastation are painful to watch.
The rebuilding of this area will take time, money and patience. Fire officials in the area are doing all that they can to put out these fires. Water and water pressure are both low. Windy conditions have made the fires spread and at this moment there seems to be no end to them. Let us pray mightily for the people and families affected by these catastrophic events. Our hearts hurt because all of us are in the human quilt called humanity.
When one of us hurts, we all hurt. We are today and always, our brother’s and sister’s keeper.
The Bible says in Micah 6th chapter, “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God”.
Dr. James B. Ewers, Jr. is a longtime educator who hails from Winston Salem, N.C. Ewers is a life member of the NAACP and a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.
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