For those of us who grew up during the life of Martin Luther King, Jr, we became rooted in what it meant to be an American by understanding King’s approach to applying the principles of the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and our lore.
“I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.” MLK
You may say to me, “Barry, you didn’t grow up a black kid. How can you relate to him?” Well, the answer is clear. MLK taught me about equity and learning to love each other as brothers and sisters. That love and belief in equity are about all of us.
“I have a dream that one day down in Alabama, … little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. I have a dream today.” MLK
The next question you may ask me could be, “Barry, how could this relate to a non-profit focused on empowering every gifted family to make strategic, proactive, and intentional educational choices” That answer is clear to me, too. The GHF mission stated above is based on equity.
The underlying challenge in everything that we do as an organization is to examine our actions through the lens of reaching every possible gifted family, whether they know they are gifted or not, so that they may be empowered. Our vision of equity is about making sure that each individual who needs our community and support has access to what we do. For they too are the community.
Everyone in our community must feel welcome and empowered. The diversity of our community goes beyond race, it includes every demographic. If you are wondering if you are one of those people to whom I am referring, the answer is “yes” and so are your friends, family, and neighbors.
If you are and/or have a family member that is gifted, you need to be able to identify as gifted, understand yourself as gifted, and get the support that you need as a gifted individual. Your needs are different and they are also different within the context of your culture and lifestyle.
We have so much work to do to reach and connect with everyone. GHF looks to a long horizon to make sure that we can achieve our mission. As much as MLK’s message was about righting the wrongs of the descendants of slavery, his message was about all of us. We can make that difference as a community for ourselves and each other.
Our country is incredibly divided right now and we have an opportunity to use the lens of giftedness to cut across cultural lines and help each other. Through embracing the message of Dr King, we have the chance to embrace that all of us have a right to equity and a fair chance to live a fulfilling life.
This is a dream that we can all share.
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