Source: Diana J. Davies, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives
Dear Tanenbaum Community,
I have always found it meaningful that Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday is joined by the welcoming of a new calendar year. A time that symbolizes a new beginning.
As we prepare for the year ahead, I think about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s philosophy of nonviolence. Tanenbaum knows well that nonviolence is not simply the absence of violence. It is not passive, but it is in fact, “a way of life for courageous people. It is active nonviolent resistance to evil. It is aggressive spiritually, mentally, and emotionally.”[1]
Tanenbaum’s mission to build more inclusive behaviors is an active, daily practice. Like Dr. King’s principles of nonviolence, our mission is rooted in transformation, and we cannot transform if we stay still.
Let us be courageous together in actively choosing unity over hate. Let us challenge ourselves to learn about identities outside our own. Let us practice nonviolence by cultivating respect.
I hope Dr. King’s fierce example of nonviolence can serve as a guiding light as we enter a new year together, re-committed to reducing prejudice, hatred, and violence.
To the work ahead,
Rev. Mark Fowler, CEO, Tanenbaum
[1] King, Martin Luther, Jr., 1929-1968. Stride toward Freedom; the Montgomery Story. New York :Harper & Row, 1958.