[for Young people] MLK, You, and what you leave
Jan 12, 2026Today is Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday.
Yesterday, I went to our local high school to invite/persuade a couple of youth to perform an excerpt of a Dr. King's "The Drum Major for Justice" sermon at Lancaster's countywide MLK breakfast.
To my surprise, after they heard my rendition of the speech paired with music --these students were jumping out of their seats. They wanted int!
In "Drum Major for Justice" Dr. King tells us how he wants to be remembered —
I want you to say that day that I tried to be right on the war question.
I want you to say that I tried to love and serve humanity.
Say that I was a drum major for justice...
say that I was a drum major for peace...
I just want to leave a committed life behind."
His words spoke to these young people, and I hope they speak to you!
Dr. King didn't measure his life by whether he fixed everything.
He measured it by commitment — to love, to justice, to humanity.
That's one reason I see Dr. King as an Ancestor of all people — someone whose spirit still guides us.
Winter is a powerful time to turn inward and remember we don't have to do this work alone or perfectly.
If you're curious about what it means to work with ancestors — not as an abstract idea, but as a grounded source of guidance, protection, and love — I am hosting a Q&A call on Feb. 4.
👉🏾 Ancestors for Healing and Liberation Q&A Call & Intro to the Walk with your Ancestors Apprenticeship
>>> SIGN UP HERE <<<
This is a gentle introduction to ancestral connection for people who want to stand for justice without becoming hardened or judgmental.
Thank you for being part of a community of people who care deeply — about justice, about love, and about leaving behind a committed life.
P.S.--Next week you can get the first Mother Tree podcast of 2026 which focuses on Dr. King and grief in the Black community. Look for the email on the King Holiday.
