In Spring of 2011, I found myself arm in arm with fellow Civil Rights Pilgrims, preparing to walk across Edmund Pettus bridge. As I stood there, eyes filled with tears, I prayed. I prayed a prayer of thanksgiving for those who walked across that same bridge on Bloody Sunday. Those extraordinary beings fought tirelessly and optimistically for both their rights and my own. I also prayed that I have not taken their sacrifices for granted. The Civil Rights Movement was comprised of numerous children, youth, and adults that realized they had a purpose to serve that was much bigger than themselves. They risked their lives for so many of the freedoms and liberties we have today, yet we still have terribly low voter turnouts during election season. This year will mark 50 years since the Bloody Sunday march, yet we still have so much progress that needs to be made.
When I think of purpose I always think of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King was an extraordinary man that acknowledged his extraordinary purpose and accepted his calling to lead one of the most historic movements in United States history. As we celebrate the legacy of the great Dr. King today, the most important aspect of his life that we should dedicate our lives and ourselves to is service. Service does not have to be a grand gesture. You don't have to be on the forefront of a historic movement. You don't need a nationwide following. You don't even need a pulpit. All you truly need is a genuine desire to be a positive change. Dr. King's dedication to service was not only inspiring, but contagious. His commitment to the fight for voting rights and overall equality opened the eyes of millions of American citizens. His cause, passion, resilience, and purpose were so evident and awe inspiring, that citizens of all ethnic backgrounds traveled to the South in an effort to support what he and other Civil Rights Leaders stood for so valiantly. Dr. King exemplified how the service of one can become the service of many- all we have to do is lead by example.
So my challenge to each of you is to find a way in which you can dedicate yourself to service every week. Anything from uplifting and encouraging a friend who may be having a rough day, to visiting with or providing for the less fortunate. All areas of service are necessary. You never know the kind of impact you could have on someone's life just by showing that you love and care about them. If we all make the effort to dedicate ourselves to service, our efforts can and will be contagious, creating the momentum that is needed to make our country and our world more peaceful and loving. Let's all follow in the footsteps of the great Dr. King. May our faith carry us forward and our service make our lives fulfilling.
God bless you all,
Micaela Simonne Watkins
Ms. Black America CoEd 2015
