The Importance of Standing Together Against Injustice Anywhere

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,” those are the now iconic words from the deeply moving letter from Birmingham jail written by MLK Jr. in 1963.

While those words are powerful by themselves, just as powerful is the sentence which follows it: “We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny.” While MLK Jr. was specifically talking about racism in America and the necessity of all people to stand up for injustice wherever they see it, I think that the idea presented resonates at a much deeper level. As we have learned through systems thinking throughout this quarter, we are all connected in many more ways than we think.

We are connected to the cacao farmers in West Africa who grow the beans that become our chocolate but who can’t afford the finished product,

We are connected to the meat packers in the Midwest who are dying of Covid-19 because of a lack of adequate protection,

We are connected to the communities who can’t drink their water because they live downstream from under-regulated dairy CAFO’s in our very own Washington state.

Global food system, Criminal Justice System, Contaminated Water Systems, all just different names for the same oppressive system fueled by the colonial legacy of institutionalized racism. We may have abolished slavery 155 years ago, but most of our food is still picked, packed, and shipped by black and brown hands. We are all part of a system which consumes marginalized bodies, and which leaves those who benefit from it confused, guilty, and angry; A system which has injustice as its very core.

So, what can we do? How we can possibly break out from these systems that entwine, confine, but hopefully won’t continue to define us.

Through my group project with the Center for Food Safety working on building a social media campaign to demand the stronger regulation of dairy CAFO’s within Washington communities, I got a glimpse of the power of the collective. Individually, none of us had the skills or the energy to create a platform on which this issue could be addressed, yet together through the synergy of our skills and knowledge we were able to create a comprehensive platform that included social media pages, petitions, lobby tool kits, and letters to the editor.

Society so often tries to divide us, because a people divided are easier to suppress, but when we awaken to the injustices which surround us and come together in the form of collective action we can challenge the very fabric of society. In the words of Margaret Mead, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” In these unprecedented times it is crucial we come together and use our collective leverage to make a difference because if we don’t, who will?

 

170 thoughts on “The Importance of Standing Together Against Injustice Anywhere

  1. مقال عظيم! من المهم جدًا أن نفهم البيئة السياسية وراء نظامنا الغذائي. إنه يؤثر على كل شيء، بدءًا من كيفية إنتاج الغذاء وحتى من يمكنه الوصول إليه. نتطلع إلى قراءة المزيد عن هذا الموضوع! شركة السياحة الطبية في الهند

    • Understanding the political ecology of the world food system is crucial for addressing food security and sustainability. This perspective sheds light on the power dynamics, policies, and practices that shape how food is grown, distributed, and consumed globally. By analyzing these factors, we can work towards a more equitable and resilient food system that meets the needs of all people and the planet.
      https://sites.google.com/view/right-medical-tourism-company/home

  2. Nice post! This is a very nice blog that I will definitively come back to more times this year.
    이제 에볼루션바카라 도 소개합니다.
    I am now not certain where you are getting your information, however good topic.

  3. Wonderful blog! I found it while surfing around on Yahoo News. Do you have any suggestions on how to get listed in Yahoo News?

    I’ve been trying for a while but I never seem to get there! Cheers

    Musicalesortizo.com

  4. Thank you for the good writeup. It in fact was a amusement account it. Look advanced to far added agreeable from you! However, how could we communicate? BONEKSLOT

  5. I’m the with regard to the majority of the content pieces, We completely savored, I’d truly choose much more information concerning this particular, considering the fact that it is good., Thanks intended for publishing. LIVESLOT365

  6. ALEXISTOGEL dipercayakan sebagai situs bandar togel dan sl*ot online terpercaya yang menyediakan berbagai permainan dalam 1 akun dengan minimal deposit hanya Rp. 5.000,-. Daftar dan dapatkan berbagai promosi menguntungkan bersama BANDER TOGEl

  7. I think that you could do with some pics to drive the message home a bit, but instead of that, this is wonderful blog. A great read. I will certainly be back.

    Asuransi

  8. That is the excellent mindset, nonetheless is just not help to make every sence whatsoever preaching about that mather. Virtually any method many thanks in addition to i had endeavor to promote your own article in to delicius nevertheless it is apparently a dilemma using your information sites can you please recheck the idea. thanks once more. laufhaus

  9. The idea of sending a squad in a ‘copter and getting in and out hours before the bombing doesn’t seem to be an option even though there are helicopters all over the place, never seeming to be doing anything worthwhile. parlayasbola.com

  10. The idea of sending a squad in a ‘copter and getting in and out hours before the bombing doesn’t seem to be an option even though there are helicopters all over the place, never seeming to be doing anything worthwhile. Radar138

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *