In his Letter from Birmingham Jail, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. famously wrote about the blueprint for change and noted that the purpose of marching in the streets is to encourage one’s opponent to sit-down and negotiate–to find solutions and common ground. He wrote:

“You may well ask: ‘Why direct action? Why sit-ins, marches and so forth? Isn’t negotiation a better path?’ You are quite right in calling for negotiation. Indeed, this is the very purpose of direct action… The purpose of our direct-action program is to create a situation so crisis-packed that it will inevitably open the door to negotiation.”

While each of us may hold different visions of what “change” means, it is clear that having the skills to negotiate, to MEDIATE, and to find common-ground is essential to making it happen.

And so, we salute the work of our volunteer mediators for serving as catalysts for change in our communities and we invite you, our supporters and friends, to join us by taking part in the exciting training opportunities and conversations happening here at WHMC. Happy Black History Month!