Keep On Keeping On

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is a time of reflection as well as celebration for not just one man, but for the accomplishments of all who have struggled to help our nation rise to its ideals in practice.

Last year, we visited the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial situated on the shores of the Potomac River in our nation’s capitol. The newest addition to the National Mall, the monument is as inspirational as any structure between the Lincoln Memorial and Supreme Court. Walls reminiscent of the Vietnam Memorial span like wings behind King’s statue, with quotes that lift hearts and minds toward our higher ideals.

Dr. King looks across the water to the Jefferson Memorial, and we were taken by his pose: not one of celebration, but of pensively knowing how much more work there is to do, especially now when backward thinking has taken a renewed hold of the minds of many of our fellow citizens. Some school districts and even states have banned discussion of racial history, while some political candidates suggest the U.S. Civil War was not primarily about slavery, even when states’ secessionist documents cite it as the reason. To counter this alarming trend, we recommend following the work of Seattle’s own Jeffery Robinson such as his most recent short film narrated by Tom Hanks.

We are also a couple weeks shy of the 51st Anniversary of the Boldt Decision affirming the fishing, hunting and gathering rights of Native American nations situated in what is now known as Washington State. Their rights were systematically oppressed in the first half of the last century, and it took decades of activism on the part of heroes, including some still with us today such as Puyallup tribal elder Ramona Bennett, to reclaim. On appeal, the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed that treaties are, as written in the U.S. Constitution, the “supreme law of the land” and the decision became a precedent for similar victories around the country, including in Wisconsin where I spent most of my extra-curricular collegiate time witnessing the struggle reoccur there.

We are grateful to be operating here on the immemorial lands and waters of the Puyallup, Nisqually, Muckleshoot & Snoqualmie people. If you’re looking for somewhere to grow your base of knowledge about the diverse peoples of this region, and about topics like Native American treaty rights, we recommend a field trip the Puyallup Tribe’s new Mini-Museum. Don’t be afraid to ask the docents “stupid questions,” no matter how you may feel before or afterwards: each of us is somewhere on the path from ignorance to wisdom and a love for all life on earth.

Take a second look at where we live: in one of the most beautiful environments of the world. Here, people of all races, creeds, nationalities, sexual orientations and genders can enjoy freedoms not available in many countries and even some states. What we enjoy socially and environmentally is no accident: it’s due to the struggle of heroes past and present who continue to make our rights a priority. Silence is often complicity, while saying something is how we can redirect ignorant thoughts and acts. Knowing what to say or do is always difficult and sometimes ineffective. But with practice, our words and actions will have a positive impact with ripple effects through time.

Here at Wolf Camp, we continued our work yesterday as the Wolf Camp staff gathered online for a discussion of this challenging moment, and for a training on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Justice (DEIJ) lead by faculty consultant Malachi Cabera. We started by asking how in the new political reality do we keep progressing from diversity, to equity, to inclusion and justice?

A quote from Og Mandino was our inspiration: “I will love the light for it shows me the way; yet I will love the darkness for it shows me the stars.” Our take-home message, as one of my mentors of activism would always tell me back when we were working on farmworker justice in the 1990’s, is to always … “Keep on keepin’ on.” – Chris