“I said to my children, I’m going to work and do everything that I can do to see that you get a good education. I don’t ever want you to forget that there are millions of God’s children who will not and cannot get a good education, and I don’t want you feeling that you are better than they are. For you will never be what you ought to be until they are what they ought to be.”
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
I met with some amazing students from Berkshire Arts & Tech Charter (BART) in Adams, Massachusetts. They wanted to interview me on January 15th on the birthday of Dr. King. I was honored that they wanted to talk with me, learn about my role as the DEI Officer, and to find out what Berkshire Health Systems is doing to support the community we serve. I will tell you that these were some of the most challenging questions. They were insightful and focused on the challenges we face in this county.
Our younger generation is faced with many challenges in our world today. Many are still recovering from the isolation that was caused by the COVID lockdowns and the civil unrest we have seen in the last 5 years. Before my mother passed in 2023, she would always say “I don’t know if I could have raised the 3 of you as a single parent today. It is so much harder.” First, she would have figured it out but the most important part of that is my mother grew up in the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s. She raised 3 boys alone in the 70’s and 80’s. She lived during the height of the Civil Rights Movement. It was hard to be a Black single mother back then so it always amazed me that she would say it would be harder today.
My mother’s words stuck with me, and it made me question my generational bias I carried. You know what I am talking about. It would always start with, “When I was your age…” and then a story would follow about how I had it harder than you, but I was still able to make it. The arrogance I had amazes me. If I were to be honest, I did some dumb things as a kid and as a young adult. What saved me are those people who came into my life and help me right the course of my life. They did it not by making me feel less than. They did it with firm guidance and direction. It was based on lessons learned when they were young. Those mentors helped me to understand that when we become successful it is our responsibility to help uplift others. The above quote by Dr. King is telling us that success is measured not just in what you have accomplished but in how you help others reach their dreams.
When I have the opportunity to speak with young people, I will always make time. I hope that my story will have impact. I want to be like the tide and help all boats rise. I believe that is the message Dr. King was teaching to us. Our road to success does not end with us, but it continues as we help others rise.
I want to tell those amazing students at BART you are our future and from what I saw and heard I have hope. You are on the path of success, and I hope that you will pay that forward for the generations that come after you. Keep the dream and the message alive.
“The youth of today are the leaders of tomorrow.”- Nelson Mandela
Charles Redd RN
Dignity Freedom Fighter
Dignity Freedom Fighter 