The Virginia Key Beach Park Trust Board of Trustees unanimously agreed and took the MLK50 Pledge and the Trust became a MLK50 Collaborating Partner; a one year commitment to promote unity in the South Florida Community, Peace, productive community dialogue and activities to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
A CALL TO PEACE AND ACTION
No Justice, No peace;
Know Justice, Know Peace”
is our rallying cry.
On this day, we, in the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr. call for peace.
A peace that is more than the absence of war. We call for a just peace. A peace where all humans have the rights of security, prosperity, good and free education, accessible and plentiful food, clean water and a planet free from disastrous pollution to calamitous climate change.
We call for a just peace. A peace where people are able to resolve conflicts without resorting to violence. A peace committed to understanding, celebrating and learning from difference. A peace grounded in what Dr. King called the Beloved Community.
It takes more than words to bring about peace. It takes action. Action that decreases hostility between people and actions that promote trust so that our words have meaning. Action, must occur within a vision.
We call on ALL people to imagine a world without poverty, hunger and homelessness. Imagine a world where we reject racist ideologies and replace them with an all-inclusive spirit of love for ALL people. Imagine a world where we resolve disputes by peaceful conflict-resolution and true reconciliation. Imagine a world, where love and justice triumph.
No Justice, No peace;
Know Justice, Know Peace”
is our rallying cry.
But, it will take more than vision to bring peace. We must face the injustices of the past and acknowledge the injustices of the present “no matter how painful. This means we must find a way to talk WITH each other instead of AT each other. It will take all of us searching deep within our own souls, taking what some call the “inward journey of self-reflection.”
It will take all of us to name those things we would rather hide-those things that stop us from being our better selves. We must not only name them, but also begin the process of purging those things that stifle our growth and the growth of others. This will lead us to form and develop communities of understanding that will walk, talk and stand with us. It is in this spirit-with humility and mutuality-that we will come together with one another and build a community of peace and goodwill for all humankind.
No Justice, No peace;
Know Justice, Know Peace”
is our rallying cry.
Contributed by:
Assistant Professor Andre E. Johnson,
Department of Communications,
University of Memphis
