On Tuesday, Jan. 10, Human Rights Commissioner Roger Lusala accepted the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day proclamation from Mayor Bruce Teague.
The day celebrates the life of Dr. King by honoring him on his birthday. This remembrance serves to empower individuals and embolden the Iowa City community to move closer to Dr. King’s vision of a Beloved Community. A Beloved Community is justice, not for any one oppressed group, but for all people.
In accepting the proclamation, Commissioner Lusala shared 10 steps community members can take in 2023 to keep Dr. King's dream alive:
- Befriend someone different than you, someone who does not look like you, talk like you, or live like you. It does not have to be complicated.
- Pay attention to social issues in our community today, find the one that makes you pause, and work to eliminate it. Do not ignore community issues that make you uncomfortable.
- Serve others.
- Lead by example.
- Have faith in humanity
- Diversify your reading list, your movies list, places you eat, places you shop. Read a book by a Black author, watch a movie by a Black director or cast members, visit a Black-owned establishment.
- Be an Ally. Don’t just say you are - be one.
- Support organizations that advance equal rights. We have many in Iowa City; find the one that feeds your soul.
- Practice inclusiveness in your everyday life; at the places you work; or play.
- Volunteer and give back.
View Commissioner Lusala's remarks here.