Update from Kate - Remebering Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Nearly 50 years -- half a century -- has passed since Dr. King was assassinated on April 4, 1968.  Yet still we live in a society riven by economic and educational disparity, racial division, injustice and inequality.

Dr. King’s vision for mending the tears in our social fabric is more powerful and more important than ever.

Dr, King understood the connection between racism, militarism, and excessive materialism.  And those three issues are more prominent than ever in the Trump Administration – threatening our society, our environment and our world.

What Dr. King called for – and what we need now -- is “a restructuring of the very architecture of American society” – a “revolution of values” that recognizes that we are all interconnected and that puts us on the true path to equality and social justice.

The recently-released “Race Counts” report found that Marin County has the highest level of racial disparities in the state of California. The report is a sobering assessment of what many of us know too well – that inequality continues to shape and circumscribe access to quality education, housing, health care, and economic opportunity. It distorts our criminal justice system and corrodes our democracy.

We often say that, if we can’t solve these challenges in Marin County, where can they be solved.  The “Race Counts” report underlines that we have a lot of work to do right here in Marin. The conversation today is an important step, but we must carry it forward with ongoing commitment and engagement at all levels.

We must make positive change happen here, where we live. For, as Dr. King said, “whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.  We are made to live together because of the interrelated structure of reality.” 

Over the last two years the County has emphasized its commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

We are committed to working together to ease the stress, anxiety and insecurity that is caused by financial challenges, inadequate housing, unsupportive schools, unwelcoming neighbors, unhealthy food, insufficient health care, and random acts of violence.

We will value and respect diverse voices, and work together to encourage acceptance, acknowledgement, opportunity and personal growth.

Only if we do all of this together, can we ease inequality and injustice, and make “race count” in a positive way that benefits us all.

So let us celebrate Dr. King’s birthday by acknowledging how interconnected we all are, and truly recognizing that none of us can prosper if even one of us is left behind.