Alicia’s words — which are a tribute to Dr. King — resonate with us today and everyday.
– KEYS SOULCARE
“Oh, maybe we can love somebody. Maybe we can care a little more. Oh, maybe we can love somebody, instead of polishing the bombs of holy war.” — Alicia Keys, from the song “Holy War”
Alicia’s touching tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. back in 2016 — 53 years after his historic “I Have a Dream” speech — remains a powerful touchstone for commemorating his legacy. (Does anyone else have chills?) Plus, it reminds us that words mean nothing if we’re not dismantling systems of violence and injustice in our everyday lives.
“Baptized in boundaries, schooled in sin, divided by differences, sexuality and skin,” she continues, “So we can fear each other. Hate each other. We can break these walls.”
When it comes to seeing ourselves as “other” — with singular struggles and rights to happiness — the reasons to choose self-interest and passive intolerance over compassion and empathy are as infinite as we are. But the path to real connection with ourselves and others is to recognize that we’re all born worthy of the opportunity to not just exist in the presence of our differences, but to thrive in full acknowledgment of them.
Humanity sits at the cross section of celebrating our individuality and holding space for those whose shoes we will never walk in. And that’s a legacy we’re happy to carry on.
How do love, justice, and humanity show up in your world? Where would you like to see more of them?
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