Coretta Scott King once said, “Struggle is a never-ending process. Freedom is never really won. You earn it and win it in every generation”

As a people, we must not settle with the idea that the existence of past systemic change means that social justice has been put in place and we can live in apathy moving forward. Change is not permanent. Change must be maintained. We all have the responsibility to actively strive toward building community, as the greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members

There exists a great plague of people in society settling with getting by only concerned with getting ours and ours alone. All of us must recognize our role in this interconnected society we live in and implement conduct in our lives that builds community.

We cannot sit back and simply think about the conditions of the world we live in. It doesn’t matter how strong your opinions are. If you don’t use your power for positive change, you are indeed part of the problem.

If we do not step up to the plate right now, we are leaving forces of darkness the easy opportunity to destroy all the progress that has been made. To live in a corrupt society and intentionally do nothing makes us corrupt as well. Yes, be a student of the movement and study those who fought—or are fighting for—social justice. But we must stop relying on others to tap us on the shoulder in order for us to get involved. 

To transform society, we must transform ourselves. Do not let peer pressure and the fear of rejection stop humanity from progressing toward justice. When you are willing to make sacrifices for a great cause, you will never be alone!