America is in a drought. Over 60 years ago, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. planted seeds in the hearts and minds of all Americans by teaching us that equality is not only possible, it is necessary and attainable. He showed us that we are loudest when we speak with a soft voice, and we are most visible when we stand together in a calm and non-threatening way. This is how you change the world- not through anger and violence, but through peace and love- that is the water of life, and we the people are the rain that our land so desperately needs. The seeds planted in the civil rights movement have sprouted, but they need water to fully bloom. Let’s be that water.

Nobody should ever have to live in fear or be treated as anything less than equal due to their skin color, gender, or any other aspect of their humanity. What happened to George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and so many others should never happen. It is deeply saddening and troubling that it is still happening in America in 2020. Still, as I watch these events unfold on TV, I am comforted by the words of Mr. Rogers, who said, “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’”

In the aftermath of the tragic death of Mr. Floyd, we saw people of all colors, races, and creeds come together to universally, and peacefully condemn the circumstances which led to his death. We see officers standing with protesters in places like Flint, Michigan. We see communities across America coming together to pick up the pieces and work in tandem to restore their communities in the wake of the riots.

People are angry, people are scared, people are worn and tired, but people are people. Our humanity is universal- and it is how we will rebuild our nation, our businesses, and our lives in the post-pandemic period on the other side of this civil unrest. We will work together in the spirit and intent of the 14th Amendment, which guarantees “equal protection of the laws”. In the spirit of Dr. King’s dream, we will build it on a national level and in our communities. We will build it everywhere we can- because we are building it in our hearts and minds, and that is where true change occurs.

At DMS we fully embrace the 14th Amendment and Dr. King’s dream of equality for all. We are a family. We are brothers and sisters, no matter what our physical and political differences. We are the change we would like to see, and we will continue to water the seeds and help humans grow.

In these unprecedented times, please be safe. Please stay kind. And please be the water that this parched land needs right now so that we can continue to bloom through diversity, inclusion, love, and equality in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s dream.

At DMS, we will continue to speak softly, water our soil, and live out the change we want and need in this world.

Thank you.