Monday, May 9, 2022
Today, our group met a wonderfully kind and intelligent woman named Wanda at the Dexter Ave. King Memorial Baptist Church. During our time with Wanda, she created a safe space for us to learn and engage with one another at the very same church Dr. King once preached at.
One thing she said stuck out to me as I sat there, soaking in all the history, memories, and knowledge that Wanda shared with us. She had been discussing activism and social justice when she told us that you have to ask yourself is the cause great enough to accept the cost. She told us how Dr. King experienced heavy costs from constant high levels of stress to internal and external pressures for the cause of civil rights. Despite what ended up costing him his life, Dr. King was dedicated to equal rights and to achieving these rights through nonviolent means despite the constant violence he and the Black community faced every day.
I suppose you have to ask yourself if you can handle everything that comes with stepping out into the limelight and speaking your mind. Dr. King was willing to accept the cost, can we?
-Sav Baird