The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday is a wonderful time to stop and reflect on the leadership that has guided us to a moment full of diversity.

Might I suggest a few reflections?

• What if 50 years ago our parents and relatives had opted out of the movement? How would we engage with one another today?

• What if 40 years ago our parents and relatives declined to attend the community-wide meetings? How would we celebrate

this weekend?

• How different would our community be if Virginia Union

University or Virginia State University did not exist to provide opportunities in higher education for our community?

To commemorate Dr. King’s legacy, and that of our beloved Richmond, I would encourage each of you to actively engage. Be a participant in our dynamic reflection of our community’s heritage.

We have so much to be thankful for. There are lessons we

have learned, paths we have traveled and, as our elders would say, still many more roads to walk. Let’s continue to build on our legacy, creating an even more dynamic and inclusive com- munity.

KEN JOHNSON Richmond

The writer is president and CEO of Johnson Inc., a marketing and communications firm.

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