Alexander Adams –
I can connect with the life and work of Martin Luther King Jr. because I live in a society that he so greatly influenced. I can’t imagine a world where schools, parks, bathrooms and buses are segregated and I’m so grateful that I was not around to witness such terrible levels of racism.
I can also connect with his struggles through depression as a youth. I’m encouraged by this, because I have struggled myself and it is nice to know that someone so strong was at one time so afflicted.
I can help promote social justice now by correcting people who think it is funny to make racist and sexist jokes. I was happy to hear President Wolk speak out against the app ‘Yik Yak’ at convocation. I installed the app because some classmates recommended it and deleted it after about a week of reading truly offensive comments.
It’s sad to look around the community and see so much hate and I think if everyone took the responsibility of promoting social justice, this would no longer be an issue.

Matthew Levins –
Whether or not we know it, every day we are connecting with the life and works of Martin Luther King, Jr.
On a daily basis on the Castleton campus, equality between all cultures and sexes is not only encouraged, but embraced, which is something that Dr. King strived for.
I also can personally connect with Dr. King in another way. Dr. King was a hard worker and although his goal seemed impossible, he still strived to achieve it every day. In a college student’s world on a daily basis, assignments are assigned with what seems nearly impossible deadlines. By striving to succeed, it is easier to achieve the goal of getting these assignments done.
As most people know, Dr. King strived to promote social justice. In today’s world, promoting social justice needs to be done by not only one person, but multiple. If every person does what he/she can to promote social justice, then the world would not face some of the racial tensions we currently face.
In order to promote social justice, everyone must do their part, no matter how small or large of an impact that they will have. There are many things that myself, as well as my fellow Americans, can do to promote social justice. One way that sticks out in my mind is to practice what we preach.
Most people talk about how the world is a socially just place, however, when push comes to shove oftentimes that does not seem to be true. If we were, in fact, practicing the things we are taught throughout all of our lives regarding social justice and equality, then we would stand up when something was not socially just, instead of sitting back and allowing others to handle it.
In living up to our word and practicing what we preach, social justice can be achieved, so long as everyone is on common ground. That ground being a socially just, fair, impartial.