What Inspired Me to Write "One Light"

Yesterday I attended an MLK breakfast that stirred something deep in me. It reminded me that we honor Dr. King’s legacy not only with words, but by standing up—again and again—for justice, civil rights, and the eradication of poverty.

As I listened, I thought of my own lineage. My grandfather, an organizer of taxi drivers in Kingston, Jamaica. My father, a migrant tobacco farm worker who later stood on an assembly line in Connecticut, doing what was necessary to provide. And my very first job—picking tobacco in Connecticut alongside my classmates who were earning money for new bikes.

But what stayed with me most were the African American and Puerto Rican farm workers who labored beside us. For them, this work wasn’t seasonal spending money—it was their only livelihood. I was young, but I knew then that I lived in between worlds. I had access. I had opportunity. And I felt called to be a bridge between the haves—of which I was a part—and the have-nots, who looked like me.

That calling never left me. It is why, as a nonprofit leader, I dedicate my life's work to helping people access power, build voice, and reach financial self-sufficiency.

This is why it's especially gratifying that I’ve been commissioned to write and recite a poem for the MLK Peace Vigil at St. Francis of Assisi Episcopal Church. I hope you’ll join me in person or watch via Instagram Live on January 19 at 6:00 pm, with the poetry reading between approximately 6:30 and 7:00 pm. Click here or on the link below for info.

May we continue to advance the work of peace and unity—in our own hearts and lives, then into the entire world.

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Click here to read the poem "The Power of Peace Prevails" and consider adding it to your collection.