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Writer's pictureShidonna Raven
Apr 1, 20211 min read

A Continued Legacy of Healing

Martin Luther King Jr. inspired a nation to change

January 15, 2020 by SSM Health Source: SSM Health Photo(s) / Image(s) Source: SSM Health

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. dedicated his life to serving others through a message of peace, non-violence and what he called the Beloved Community; all of these being rooted in love. He was a voice for the voiceless. A beacon of hope in a confused world. He became a  symbol of strength for an entire nation and beyond. Now, more than 50 years after his death, Dr. King’s legacy continues to guide us on matters of morality, equality, human dignity and diversity.

The Civil Rights leader inspired change with his nonviolent approach to inequality and injustice. From the struggle to end apartheid in South Africa, to the effort to break up Soviet occupation in Poland, Dr. King began a movement that extended far beyond his Civil Rights work and even his own lifetime. His work continues to energize, motivate and guide those on a mission for justice and healing in the world. Those determined to reach beyond the status quo, overcome life’s hurdles, and create lasting change for good. And that change doesn’t happen when we are comfortable or complacent. It happens when we recognize that only we can make a difference, and in fact, must make a difference. Change happens when we recognize the opportunity to do better. Be better. Lead better. SSM Health believes diversity makes us stronger and allows God’s presence to be revealed. We believe a diverse work community allows the gifts of all to contribute to the best outcomes. Our success lies in diversity. It’s part of our past and the key to our future. “We are not makers of history. We are made by history.” – Martin Luther King Jr.  In 1933, SSM Health’s founding sisters, the Franciscan Sisters of Mary, opened the nation’s first Catholic hospital for African Americans. St. Mary’s Infirmary welcomed African American patients, but also gave African American physicians and nurses a place to be trained and to practice their professions. These sisters were following in the footsteps of their foundress, Mother Mary Odilia Berger and the first sisters who came to St. Louis from Germany in 1872 to immediately began caring for the sick and the poor in the midst of a smallpox epidemic. The sisters did what they believed God was calling them to do. They cared for people in their homes, especially the poor who did not have money to be cared for in hospitals. They recognized the dignity of each person and brought healing to society’s most vulnerable with compassion and care. We continue to be inspired by their courage and commitment at SSM Health today. Our founding sisters were trailblazers. They began a health care ministry that today is stronger and larger than they could ever have imagined. They were advocates for the poor and vulnerable, and their lives and ministry inspire us to carry on their legacy in the communities we serve.  “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?” -Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a national day of service when we are all encouraged to celebrate by committing to improve the lives of others. So we ask you, what are you doing to serve others? Because after all, “everybody can be great … because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”  – Martin Luther King Jr. 

How can service be a source of healing and greatness for you? What other leaders have offered healing to a nation and an world? How?

If these articles have been helpful to you and yours, give a donation to Shidonna Raven Garden and Cook Ezine today. All Rights Reserved – Shidonna Raven (c) 2025 – Garden & Cook.

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