John's Usual Excuses & Apologies--
As we reflect on the life of Martin Luther King, it's an opportunity to measure how our nation's progress over the previous year, decade, generation, etc.
One of the things that I've found humbling personally is how I've somehow started channeling my grandparents, lecturing my kids about civics, pluralistic democracy, etc. As someone who has spent 30 years assisting people with developmental disabilities, I'm grateful about how much progress America has made with regard to civil rights. However, I worry about how we advance further if we negotiate opposing ideas and work cooperatively to the common good. MLK is important to me not just a civil rights leader, but also as someone who recognized that who recognized that poverty was equally terrible regardless of skin color, that in order to improve the nation for children of color, society also must work to improve the nation for disadvantaged white children. Our past and future progress will be built by local and national leaders working together. I appreciate all that so many CLI clients, families, and staff do to improve our community.