This week was profound opportunity to reflect upon the contributions of profound leaders who have been among the world’s greatest trailblazers.
Today marks forty-two years since Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in Memphis after he delivered a rousing vision and call for a beloved community. By the same token, Wednesday, March 31st was an official state holiday in the west and southwest to commemorate the life of Mexican-American labor leader and civil rights activist Cesar Chavez. Along with Delores Huerta, a community organizer and co-founder of the United Farm Workers, Chavez started this organization advocating for equity and humane treatment for migrant farm workers.
Coincidentally, March was women’s history month and a time to commemorate the contributions of phenomenal women leaders like Huerta who persevered in the midst of struggle. Also, Jaime Escalante who was the legendary Los Angeles math teacher who instilled confidence in students lost his battle to bladder cancer last Tuesday. Actor Edward James Olmos starred as Escalante in the movie “Stand and Deliver” at renowned Garfield High School.
Rather than just looking back at the legacies of leaders who defied time and circumstance, let’s consider them legends, leaders who emerge beyond the shadows. This way we can continue their work and maintain their courage. Only then can we become better leaders ourselves.
