Staff Stories

The life and teachings of Dr. King have meant a variety of things to me over the years. I was 6 years old when he was assassinated. While I definitely was too young to fully appreciate the lessons of his life, my understanding grew over time and he has since been a champion and role model for me. I remember sitting in the living room with my mother watching and listening to him on the news and radio. I had yet to experience the intensity of the racism being shown on television. My kinship with the people being attacked by dogs, fire hoses and police fostered an undeniable awareness, fear of and anger towards the “establishment.” Simultaneously, there was an invincible air of hope and promise in Dr. King's booming voice that reassured me. It conveyed a sense that we were going to win. I can still clearly see the knowing glances, genuine smiles and nods being exchanged whenever my family gathered to hear him speak.

"With the challenges and controversies that we are currently facing in society, Martin Luther King Jr. Day allows us to pause and honor one of America's greatest leaders. We are reminded on this day of all the risks, sacrifices, and consequences he faced to inspire us to stand for social justice and equality for all. Dr. King also showed us that making a difference is a team effort. He didn’t just give speeches, he asked people to join him in peaceful demonstrations and service to others. His words and actions help to inspire those struggling for social progress and opened the doors of opportunity for all people. He called us to get involved in something bigger than ourselves."

"8 minutes 46 seconds. CDs. Wrong House Sleeping at home. Kalief Browder. Trayvon Martin. Central Park Five. Malcolm and Martin. Emmett Till. Nat Turner. The captive Africans crammed into the bowels of a slave ship, who communicated through their tears, and committed suicide as an act of rebellion - I carry these ansestors in the roots of my soul. As a Black man, I was never taught how to survive in a land that has oppressed my soul. I feel foreign to the sole of my feet as I walked on soil that was never meant to nourish and grow me. I carry the weight of injustice, but also the initiative to implement change. Dr. King said, “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.” This serves as the blueprint for the work I do today."

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. believed in people. He acknowledged the divisions that kept us apart and harmed our national character but had confidence that each one of us sought greater unity and equality. He recognized that racism and inequality can never be accepted. We must meet intolerance with education and action to come to a solution. My hope is that we are able to abandon our focus on the comforts of personal prosperity, and instead embrace fidelity to social justice and equality for all. When a life has suffered injustice at the hands of another, no person goes untouched by the repercussions -- Given recent events, we see that now more than ever.

"I remember seeing Dr. King’s mural at the Compton courthouse after attending a probation meeting to tell folks about CEO. I remember feeling how important that conversation was because most of our colleagues were coming from South Los Angeles. I remember being in a room with mostly Black people, building relationships that would have a lasting impact. Planting a seed in the community to make a difference. To literally change lives. I am reminded of the countless Black and Brown kids that came in with their parents to our office, seeing their mother or father engaged in conversation with us. I carry that memory as a symbol for anything I do here at this organization: it must be rooted in anti-racism."