It’s a long weekend for many here in the United States. Whether that means that you have off from work, or simply don’t get the mail delivered that day, I encourage you to think about the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Dr. King’s words are just as relevant now as they were then, because the same injustices run rampant in our society in 2023 as they did in the 1960s. In Letter from Birmingham Jail, Dr. King wrote that freedom “is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed” – a fitting foreshadowing of the Black Lives Matter protests that would be necessary in 2020. In the same letter, Dr. King wrote about his disappointment in the white church and its leadership. Appropriate still now, when white Christian nationalism has become the platform on which many Congressional hopefuls ran last year in the United States.
I don’t need to remind our Black community members of these astounding challenges: they experience them each and every day. The question to the rest of us is: how can we rise to the occasion? How can we see ourselves as we truly are and begin or continue the work of unpacking our own biases? We might not have simple solutions now, but without awareness, there can be no change. Couple your awareness with action. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.
Eat: I made my very first frittata this weekend, and it could not have been easier. What I love about it is that it’s so easy to customize. Got spinach that’s going to be soggy in another day? Want to make good use of those leftover roasted potatoes from last night? Throw them in! It basically works like this: prepare your filler ingredients. Take an oven-safe pan, saute the spinach in the example above, and dice those roasted potatoes. Then pour over scrambled eggs and bake the whole thing in the oven until it’s set. Serve hot, or not. Eat it right then, or freeze it in wedges for later. Check out this recipe for a more technical run-down of how it’s done. I promise you: it’s five times easier than you think and ten times as delicious.
See: Take a moment to audit your social media feed. In addition to your favorite pals over at Cactus Cancer Society (@CactusCancer), are you following things that make you happy? I was recently made aware of a superstar Corgi named Maxine (@MaadMax_FluffyRoad) and love sharing videos of adorable animals doing adorable things. Not sure where to start? Try #DogsOfInstagram, #CatsOfInstagram, or follow accounts your favorite accounts follow. Add some happy back into your day.
Do: Monday is Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Instead of thinking of it as a day off, whether that be work or school, I encourage you to think about it as a day on. Dr. King was tireless in his fight to end the oppression of Black citizens in this country. The best way to honor his legacy is to continue it. Google “MLK Day Events Near Me” to find a list of opportunities to further the values of Dr. King, such as ending voter suppression and expanding voting rights, getting resources to the unsheltered and those experiencing houselessness, and ending gun violence.
Have an eggy, pup-tastic, social justice-filled weekend,
Christina
