Our Viewpoint: The power of unity

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.”

— Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

I listen to a lot of podcasts about a variety of subjects. Recently I listened to a talk by historian Heather Cox Richardson who noted that most people who we celebrate in American history worked for equality.

   This week the country honored Martin Luther King, Jr., who took a nonviolent approach to fighting systematic racism faced by African Americans in the United States. His voice and leadership was instrumental in the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. There is a federal holiday honoring his legacy, but there were other activists such as John Lewis and Rosa Parks who worked to promote racial equality through protests and marches.

   Susan B. Anthony was pivotal in the women's suffrage movement that resulted in the 19th amendment, which gave women the right to vote. She and Elizabeth Cady Stanton were two of the leaders of the American Equal Rights Association, founded in 1866. The AERA came together with a common goal that "all discriminations on account of sex or race may be removed; ... a government by the people, and the whole people; for the people, and the whole people." The AERA would eventually not be able to get past internal disagreements, but while they were working together, there was progress. Now, we have a coin commemorating Anthony's contributions to our country's history.

There are noteable leaders throughout our history, but much more can be accomplished when people come together with mutual respect and a common goal of inclusion rather than to discredit someone else. The power of unity results in extraordinary feats. — Annie Wooden