It was 9th or 10th grade- and all the girls in my class (P.E. class, I think) were “treated” to a guest speaker. I don’t remember what the woman’s actual job title, but she was there to share her expertise regarding make-up and skin care. I do remember that she told us the rules for putting on make-up: 1) don’t put foundation on with your fingers, only with a sponge and 2) always apply all make-up in upward motion. You see, “a downward motion pulls the skin down and we already have gravity to do that. The upward motion goes against gravity and that is better because- it helps fight wrinkles!” I distinctly remember thinking there was something rather strange about giving 14 year-old girls wrinkle prevention tips. Here we were young women just entering high school and already we were being instilled with the fear of getting old and, worse, looking it.

Today, I find the whole experience disturbing on many levels. Foremost, I think back in dismay at the opportunity missed. Of all the guest speakers and all the ways that teacher could instill a lifelong lesson- was wrinkles really the best she had?

Sure I learned many things in high school and had some good teachers. However, I also learned very little about civil rights or what it means to have civic responsibility. There were no meaningful lessons- or guest speakers- about a different foundation all together- the foundation of our nation’s values or the care with which that foundation should be treated.

This is not intended as an indictment of schools. There are many wonderful teachers (like my Mom, a retired teacher) instilling important skills and values. I also find that there are more of those “foundational” lessons being taught today (I am happy to part of an organization that contributes to that). My dismay lies in the larger picture– if our society spent as much energy and money on critical issues like poverty and justice as we do on beauty, celebrity and youth, can you imagine the impact we could have?

I can imagine it. I had the pleasure of participating in an event last night that showed the impact of the committed individual. The Colorado Martin Luther King Humanitarian awards honored eight amazing individual whose energy is turned to the important issues of the world. For example, teen Elisa Sagehorn, who at 16 years old spent her time organizing all aspects of a telethon which raised thousands of dollars for the new hospital in her small town; or Randle Loeb who, himself homeless at one time, has become an incredible advocate for the homeless in our state. Or, Lt. Les Perry who has spent his 28 year career with the Denver Police Department trying to build break down cultural barriers and build trust between citizens and officers. At the end of the ceremony, Lt. Perry said to me “When you try to write the script of your life, you don’t ever include events like these.” And that’s exactly why he was honored. Because he wasn’t seeking honor, he was seeking service.

All eight honorees have made an enormous impact on their communities and they all had many different motivations (I’m pretty sure wrinkle prevention wasn’t one of them) – passion, anger, responsibility and even self-interest. Self-interest. I think we often see this as antithetical to doing service or doing good. But I think it’s an importantly powerful motivator for service. I want everyone to find the “I” in this work- to see themselves in the fight. For example, I have many personal stakes in social justice work. I want S to grow up in a society that will not treat her worse just because she’s female or better just because she’s white. I want my city to be a diverse place, where working class people still have a place to live, without worrying about whether the tax base will support “good” schools or services. I want the school system to be academically strong and equitable. I want my friends who aren’t white or straight or middle class to be free from harassment no matter what part of the city they are in. These are things that I want for myself and my family. Selfish of me, perhaps. But I’m ok with that.

Rather, I think it’s a problem that people don’t see themselves in the issues. They don’t see how they are personally affected; don’t see that they have a stake in the fight. But the structures which support discrimination affect us all.

One example: there is a lot of concern about the state of our economy today. One of the major factors in our economic downturn has been the slump in the housing market. A significant piece of the downturn in the housing market has been the staggering increase in defaults on subprime loans. Many studies and reports have shown that U.S. mortgage lenders targeted people of color and people with low incomes in recent years as the “best candidates” for subprime home loans. Racism and classism are very much an element of our economy state. Yes, understanding our economy and all the different aspects which impact it is complicated, but the point is very clear. When we take a close look at structures in our society we can see how discrimination impacts all of our lives. We all have an “I” in social justice.

My dear great grandmother (Granny Foster) passed away yesterday at 106 and 16 days old. Her beautiful wrinkles tell of all she experienced in her lifetime. It is amazing to think of how different the United States is since she was born in 1902. She was a pioneer in her own right- went to college when women didn’t go to college and instilled the importance of education in all her family. And she was witness to much advancement in our society and many amazing and important milestones in social justice – when she was born women didn’t even have the right to vote! To be sure, there have been many positive advances in terms of human and civil rights in country. And, to be sure, there are many improvements and changes which still need to be made.

And both of these reasons are why I write in honor of Martin Luther King Day every year: to remember and celebrate the sacrifice and commitments of those who came before and to be reminded of the work that needs to be done. And I am optimistic about that work, perhaps more so than in a long time, because people are making change in groundswell movements across the country and the world. The awardees last night are just eight examples. The hundreds of people who responded to the inequality of the justice system in Jena, LA are another. The thousands who are working to end genocide in Darfur and putting pressure on China to end their economic involvement in the Sudan are still another. They are all finding the “I” in the fight for social justice.

Another reason I am optimistic is that we can work in so many more ways than when Martin Luther King was marching from Selma to Montgomery. We can march on the internet highway; we can petition virtually; we can make ourselves heard through YouTube. We can spread our message, contact our representatives and make our voices heard in powerful ways. The in-person social action is still incredibly important, but we also have immeasurably more and easier access to successful political tools. And that also means that there are fewer excuses for inaction.

The theme for Martin Luther King Day is “A Day On, Not a Day Off.” Many organizers and activists are trying to hold onto the real purpose of this holiday (strangely it wasn’t created so that advertisers could have another marketing tactic). I write this reflection every year to try and keep the meaning of the holiday in the forefront of my life, as well. But regardless of what I do on Monday, even more important to me is that it’s a yearly reminder to make every day a “day on” in some way, as much as possible. And there are so many ways to serve, so many ways to make change. As Martin Luther King, Jr said “everybody can be great because anybody can serve.”

And as I say: service won’t fight wrinkles, but it will make your life more beautiful.

Love, Beth