Editor’s note: The following article is an op-ed, and the views expressed are the author’s own. Read more opinions on theGrio.
Six decades after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. led the March on Washington, our nation continues to witness attempts to dismantle hard-fought rights and the very institutions that support our democracy. And while some may say that we are more divided than ever, as CEO of AmeriCorps, I’ve had the opportunity to witness the opposite. I’ve seen how service is the heartbeat of our democracy and builds bridges where divisions threaten to tear us apart.
Dr. King once preached, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”
Each year on the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, we have the opportunity to show the world that service is love in action. Even more, it is democracy in action. Serving together, and serving each other, enables us to see each other’s humanity. It illuminates that great indisputable truth: what we have in common is stronger than what we don’t.
Led by AmeriCorps in partnership with the King Family, the MLK Day of Service provides an opportunity to act on Dr. King’s “fierce urgency of now” and deliver on the promise of a “beloved community” — a society where hunger, poverty, violence, and racism cease to exist. Service holds tremendous power — it harnesses opportunity and change; it creates momentum. Service — whether one day or every day — often becomes a defining moment, enabling people to plot their intentions and take ownership of the challenges and opportunities they face. Through servant leadership, we can resist the paralysis of inaction while immersing ourselves in our community.
At AmeriCorps, we see it all the time. Serving in a school sparks a career in education. Disaster recovery volunteers become leaders in disaster management. And now President Biden’s American Climate Corps is…
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