Happy MLK Day!

Honoring Martin Luther King, Jr by establishing the MLK federal holiday was officially passed by an overwhelming majority by Congress in 1983 and then passed into law under President Ronald Reagan, who had long opposed both the holiday as well as civil rights in general based on his view of states’ rights.

So many times I have wondered how MLK garnered the strength to go against the grain. In hindsight, it’s so obvious that the marches he organized and the coalitions he and others helped build would be pivotal in educating the broader public about the variety and depth of injustices imposed on African-Americans throughout the country. In looking through some of the highlights of his life, what really comes through is that he was not a shoe-in for this most challenging job, but that he worked so hard, strategically and always re-evaluating how to make positive things happen. His resilience was spectacular.

He was not a naturally gifted speaker, at least according to his public speaking professor at Crozer Theological Seminary, who graded him as a C in his first year's class. However, MLK completely changed his style, studied incredibly hard, and then graduated as valedictorian. If that professor had awarded him an A that first year, MLK might never have re-evaluated his speaking style.

Even when MLK had achieved fame, he continued learning and adjusting to maximize his impact. Despite marching in Albany, Georgia and Chicago, Illinois, he did not win major changes in either place as the police used different tactics to minimize the disruption and media attention that the marches and other actions needed. He used every opportunity to learn and adapt, and even failures eventually increased his strength and effectiveness.

Here’s to our shared struggle to learn (even when we think we know) and adapt (when we find out that we didn’t know as much as we thought)!

Until next time, Odi