Honoring Dr. King

- 3 mins

The legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is one that has shaped the course of American and world history. As we celebrate his life and legacy on this MLK Day, I find myself reflecting on how his work has impacted me personally and how I can best honor his legacy in 2025.

How Dr. King’s Legacy Changed Me

My mother never let me forget who I am and where I came from.

I remember the first time I really understood the significance of Dr. King’s legacy. It was an MLK Day, and I was 13 or 14. I wanted to play video games, but my mother insisted that I watch a documentary about Dr. King. I didn’t have a choice.

As I watched, I became more engaged and eventually upset about how he was treated. I wanted to know more about his speeches so she printed off “The Drum Major Instinct” and “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” for me to read. I read them over and over again for weeks—trying to understand the depth of his words and how they could apply to my life.

While I’ve been active in the NAACP (in college and in Mississippi) and registered voters for other organizations, I don’t think I’ve done enough for my community. Even with serving as Student Government President or Graduate Student Government President, I wonder if that is the best and most I can do. Is that the best servant leadership I can provide?

How Can I (We) Honor Dr. King

Last year on my birthday, I took some time to go to the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and walk around Kelly Ingram Park. I was embarrased that I’d been in Birmingham for 4 years and hadn’t done that. The experience was powerful, and I kept thinking, “if they could endure all of that brutality and injustice, then I can endure my challenges as well.” I felt inspired and challeged to do more.

So, how can I (or anyone) honor Dr. King’s legacy in 2025?

I think the answer is that we can honor Dr. King by using our best skills to lift others up. If you’re a writer, write about the issues that matter. If you’re a teacher, teach your students about the importance of social justice. If you’re a scientist, use your research to ameliorate disparities. Become MORE than just your job title. Be willing to stand up for what’s right, even when it’s hard and even when it might cost you something.

What does that look like for me? Well, I’m starting a local RUGS (R Users Group) chapter in Birmingham to help others learn how to use R or improve their ability to use it. My hope is that I inspire more Black people to be interested in data science by showing them how they can use it to make a difference in their community. We’ll see how it goes.

What skills can you use to uplift others in your community?

Why We Can’t Wait

If you haven’t read “Why We Can’t Wait” by Dr. King, I highly recommend it. It’s a powerful book that focuses on the urgency of addressing racial injustice and civil rights through nonviolent protest—and it’s just as relevant today as it was when it was written.

There are many great quotes in that book, but one that resonates with me is: “We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people.”

Be a person who speaks up for justice and stands against silence.

Shaurita D. Hutchins

Shaurita D. Hutchins

Graduate Research Assistant

comments powered by Disqus
rss facebook twitter github youtube mail spotify lastfm instagram linkedin google google-plus pinterest medium vimeo stackoverflow reddit quora quora