By: Hannah Franz
“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”
– Martin Luther King Jr.
Today we remember and celebrate those who fought and sacrificed their lives in the pursuit of a greater good. People, such as Martin Luther King, Jr. were enlightened and strongly aware of the inequalities that existed during their time. They were likewise mindful of the long path it would take to find a panacea for these wrongs. It is because of the path that these heroes paved that many are able to pursue their dreams and goals; able to start new paths towards the never ending struggle for true equality for all people. Despite pockets of ignorance that exist throughout the country, the United States, as a whole, has improved drastically. Yet, there still exists many places across this globe that are watching various inequalities play out daily; people that are waiting for the changes that many brave people fought for decades ago, and looking to the many brave individuals of our day to continue to carry the torch. There are many places all over the world where lives are lost fighting for the needed changes that we seem to take for granted here at home.
Just last week 21 people were killed in a suicide bombing and shootout at a restaurant in Kabul. Among these people was a young woman, Lexie Kamerman, from Chicago, Illinois. She was in Kabul working as a student development specialist at the American University of Afghanistan. Her family stated proudly that she was helping women “get an education and take their rightful place as leaders in Afghan society.”
Where would we be without brave people such as Lexie Kamerman? Without icons and activists such as Martin Luther King, Jr; without people whose mission is making a change? I believe that without such altruistic and pure heroes the array of inequalities that our world has developed over time would linger and would become stagnant. Luckily this is not the case, as their are countless people whose lives have been devoted to continuing on the path towards change and progression, a path that people like Martin Luther King, Jr. sacrificed his life for.
Though many lives end too soon, the legacy they leave will live on to inspire countless others. Today, not only do we honor the great Martin Luther King Jr., but all those who have stood up for their beliefs, those who would not give up despite those who said it may be dangerous, and those who knew change must occur. I would like to say “thank you” on behalf of The Women’s International Fund for Education to all the brave people who have prioritized their cause and dedicated their lives to something greater than themselves, especially if the cause be for the equality of all people.