The King Legacy

When I think of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., so many incredible lines and phrases run through my mind:

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is:  what are you doing for others?”

“Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”

“The time is always right to do what is right.”

On January 20, the SC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy was honored to accept the Martin Luther King, Jr. Humanitarian Award from the City of Spartanburg. The award is given each year to a business or organization that has “proven they are committed to recognizing diversity as an asset in their organization, the improvement of the overall human condition, and the community building efforts that Dr. King so admirably fought to make a reality. “

Being placed in the same category – on any level – with Dr. King seems incomprehensible to me. I have seen first-hand over the past five years, though, how much the SC Campaign seeks to meet the unique needs of everyone we serve. Regardless of age, race, socio-economic status, educational achievement, family make-up, gender, the SC Campaign customizes approaches to make sure we are providing the absolute best to everyone because we believe that everyone is worthy of our absolute best.

Even more than that, though, our work reminds me of a less-known quote from Dr. King:

“Rarely do we find men who willingly engage in hard, solid thinking. There is an almost universal quest for easy answers and half-baked solutions. Nothing pains some people more than having to think.”

I believe this is a great description of the work we should all be doing – we should constantly ask the hard questions, never be satisfied with “good enough,” and never allow ourselves to think we know it all and have all the answers.  As the life of Dr. King has shown us, progress comes with hard work, and answers only come when we let ourselves struggle with the questions. I’m grateful for the example he set and blessed to work for an organization that seeks to put his ideals into practice.

To read more about the 27th annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Celebration in Spartanburg, click here.

by Dana Becker, Spartanburg Community Mobilization Coordinator, SC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy