"Darkness cannot drive out darkness." - MLK

In the United States we remember an incredible man with a world-changing legacy, Martin Luther King Jr. As a leader of the civil rights movement MLK set an important standard about how to create change in something you believe in. With everything that’s happened in the last year including police brutality, Black Lives Matter, and contested election results, it makes me think - What would MLK have to say about this? What struck me was this very famous quote: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

Our focus should always be on what we stand for. When it comes to the change we wish to see, we must embody the change and make that our focus point. Especially in the face of challenge and obstacles it’s important to keep the end in mind. You must have empathy and think on another level about how your behavior and decisions interact with the issue at hand. Particularly with recent events and how everyone seems to be in their own echo chamber due to social media algorithms and conversations with friends, I would make the following suggestion: Closed-mindedness cannot drive out closed-mindedness, only open-mindedness can do that. 

There are too many things going on in the world right now to keep track of it all, but let’s use MLKs example to remind us about the importance of racial equality. Our generation has inherited a sad and traumatic history, and it’s up to us to be self-aware and recognize how that history is present in our lives. May we move forward with light, love, and open-mindedness.