“We shall overcome because the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice.”
— Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
John,
I draw strength from this quote often in my work, but especially today on Martin Luther King Day, as it so often does.
Today, Donald Trump is being sworn back into office.
His administration has pledged to deport millions of immigrants, enact tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy, and roll back vital climate protections we fought so hard for.
There are challenging times ahead — there’s no sugar-coating it.
For many, today is incredibly somber, scary, heart-breaking.
But as the quote reminds us:
We can be arc-benders, pushing us towards the beloved community MLK spent his life building to.
We should feel grief, but never despair. Sad, but not cynical.
This is a tough challenge, but we can overcome it.
We will overcome it.
Think about those who came before us, our ancestors in our nation’s long history.
And how, despite tragedy, wretched oppression, and unimaginable loss, they kept working to overcome and move our nation forward.
Our ancestors’ legacy is a lesson in invincible spirit, in never giving up, in unconquerable love.
No matter what, we have to be ready to stand up and do the work.
I’m ready to take on these fights — for good, for justice, for peace, for community.
We are here for a purpose. Now more than ever, people across the nation need us to do a lot of good. As much as we can.
Because no righteous word, no noble act, no kind deed, is ever in vain.
Let us do our part to bend the arc of the moral universe toward justice.
And let’s start now.
With love and gratitude,
Cory
