MLK

The words and actions of Martin Luther King Jr. are always relevant, but they seem even more vital today. Just two days ago, our President-elect attacked civil rights hero John Lewis, saying—about the man that had his skull fractured by the police after marching in Selma—that he's "all talk, talk, talk - no action or results."

In November of 2015, I saw the MLK memorial in Washington DC for the first time and was awed by its scale, simplicity and the words of MLK himself. The memorial, dedicated in 2011 is the first on the National Mall to honor an African American and only the fourth to honor a non-president. The inscription on the monument proclaims "Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope," a reference to a line in one of King's speeches, “With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope.”

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at time of challenge and controversy," has stuck with me since I visited the memorial, and seems especially important today. Next weekend, I will return to DC for the Women's March, searching for a stone of hope in these times of challenge and controversy.