Honoring the Life & Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

On Monday we will commemorate the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., an American civil rights leader who became a global icon for human rights, justice, and de-nuclearization.

While Dr. King primarily focused on the civil rights of African Americans as a freedom fighter, he also fought for human rights of all people around the world. He often referred to other communities who were also fighting to abolish oppression and injustice worldwide. Because of this outspokenness and the universality of his message, he continues to be honored internationally, including in the United Kingdom, India, Canada, Japan and Australia, as someone who fought against oppression everywhere. This legacy of promoting human rights for all was carried on by his late wife and daughter, Coretta Scott King, and Yolanda, and continues with the work of The Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change.

In Dr. King’s letter from the Birmingham jail, he says, “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

Despite the fact that Dr. King penned these words almost 60 years old, we are still facing injustices and systemic oppressions of the BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ communities, People with Disabilities, and many others.

At Compass Health, 2022 will be a year of direct action against injustice, and in support of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, which you will hear more about in the months to come.

This weekend we encourage you to consider taking action in honor of Dr. King’s legacy on Monday, January 17. From the YMCA of Snohomish County’s Inspirational Weekend, to the City of Bellingham’s Day of Service Work Party and Western Washington University’s Day of Service, it’s heartening to see so many opportunities for our local communities to serve and take action together.

May we all take a moment to stop and realize that Dr. King’s dream should be our collective goal, just as he envisioned it would be.