Atlanta VAHCS celebrates Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with virtual event
Freedom is Never Free | Atlanta VA Celebrates Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The Atlanta VA Healthcare System, in conjunction with the Atlanta Regional Office and the VA’s Office of Resolution Management, Diversity, and Inclusion, honored the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during a live virtual presentation on January 10.
Dr. Telika McCoy, keynote speaker and Seminary Professor at Shaw University Divinity School, reflected on how Dr. King’s legacy of advancing civil rights through nonviolence also served as a call to action of working together for building harmony, engaging in public service, and promoting peaceful social change.
Dr. McCoy explained how the theme for MLK Day 2024, Shifting the Cultural Climate through the Study and Practice of Kingian Nonviolence, focuses on using nonviolent solutions to address injustice and violence in an individual's community.
Robert Mullins, who served in the Marine Corps during the height of the civil rights movement, noted that Dr. King understood, as every Veteran understands, that freedom is never free.
“Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a servant of humanity who lived a life dedicated to the service of others,” said Mullins, a Vietnam Veteran. “We owe Dr. King and so many others who spearheaded the civil rights movement a tremendous debt of gratitude. If it were not for their unwavering commitment, our nation and our world might be a much different place, one we might not want for our children and grandchildren.”