MLK Celebrations & a black Woman Writer

INSPIRED…

Having just returned from India, where I experienced a profound transformation at Gandhi’s Ashram, I was still battling jet lag when I spoke with Cole Arthur Riley. Her spirit and insights invigorated me despite my weariness, making our meeting unforgettable. Sharing the stage with her for the 2025 Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration at Boston University, sponsored by The Howard Thurman Center, felt surreal, especially in the presence of the legacies of Drs. King and Thurman.

Cole is a remarkable writer exploring spirituality and the experiences of Black bodies. Her works, This Here Flesh and Black Liturgies, are powerful tools that guide readers on journeys of inner reflection. During her lecture, she encouraged us to reflect on King’s 1962 sermon, “A Knock at Midnight,” alongside Howard Thurman’s question, “What is your name?” This prompted deep self-reflection amid the moral challenges King discussed.

After our conversation, I reevaluated my New Year’s resolutions, considering how they could strengthen connections with my family and community. Starting the day feeling tired, I left our discussion rejuvenated and hopeful. Cole’s words reminded me that our world yet has the resources of care, love, community, and just response that may seem shrouded from view for some of us these days. The collective human spirit of dignity and connection persists. We, nonetheless, share a collective human spirit of dignity and connection. We need only seek it and offer it as a gift to each other...

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READ: This here Flesh by Cole Arthur Riley: https://amzn.to/3WYQJf9

READ: Black Liturgies by Cole Arthur Riley - https://amzn.to/42rH2JD

VISIT: Howard Thurman Center - https://www.bu.edu/thurman/

LISTEN: Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Sermon, “A Knock at Midnight” (1962): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cl9VTbJXCk4