Photo courtesy of National Parks Service

As we take time to reflect on the contributions of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to human rights and equality in the US and across the world, we are reminded of how his legacy calls out for the improvement of the health and well-being of our local communities. The Community Health Center Movement was launched off the shoulders of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement and its leaders whose fearless dreaming ignited countless forms of social change.

Dr. King said, “Ultimately a great nation is a compassionate nation. No individual or nation can be great if it does not have a concern for (poverty and deprivation in their midst).”

It should come as no surprise that the Community Health Center Movement owes its existence to this crucial turn of events in U.S. history brought about by the Civil Rights Movement. Also, this new movement was made possible thanks to a handful of determined civil rights activists, compassionate doctors, and community health leaders who tirelessly battled to bring about an end to discrimination and to improve the lives of Americans living in poverty with no clear path to accessing quality healthcare.

We remain forever grateful for this inspiration and continue to work toward a future for our communities informed by Dr. King’s visions.

Read Reflections on Martin Luther King’s Legacy from the National Associaton of Community Health Centers.