Microsoft : Today we reflect on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy of service, which endures as demonstration of the power and responsibility…

Today we reflect on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy of service, which endures as demonstration of the power and responsibility each of us has to create a more inclusive world with our actions, both large and small. Thank you Fred Humphries for this tribute.

This Monday, January 17, is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. - a holiday with incredible importance to our country and one that holds a lot of personal meaning. In 1948, Dr. King graduated from Morehouse College, which is also my alma mater. Going to the same school as one of the country's most prolific leaders of the Civil Rights Movement was a surreal experience. Every freshman at Morehouse must attend Chapel service once a week and students couldn't miss more than six services a year. While I may not have appreciated the attendance requirements at the time, in hindsight, and especially as I reflect on Dr. King, those Chapel services have stayed with me more than anything else over the years. We heard from leaders across the country, including many of Dr. King's professors, classmates, friends, and fellow Civil Rights leaders. Their words had such an impact on me regarding the importance of civic responsibility, civil rights, service, and the importance of advocacy.  Over the years, the Dean of the Chapel, Dean Carter, would reliably speak about what it meant to be a "Morehouse Man." I can recall vividly Dean Carter's description of a person with character, intellectual curiosity, patience, focus, values, and a religious spirit. Whenever the Dean spoke about being a Morehouse Man, we knew he would reference Dr. King. And rightfully so. Dr. King's work and legacy embody the ideals not only of a Morehouse Man, but the ideals of community service that I believe we should all be striving towards. He truly epitomized what it means to be a difference maker and did it with humility.  This year, I am especially reminded of a quotation of his, "Our goal is to create a beloved community, and this will require a qualitative change in our souls as well as a quantitative change in our lives." The persistent threats to human, civil, and economic rights across the globe are a testament to the need for more community servants with this qualitative and quantitative change in mind. I feel blessed to continue to invest in Dr. King's legacy and dream as a board member of Morehouse. I feel grateful, too, for my role and the space at Microsoft to serve as an advocate. Most importantly, as I reflect on this holiday, I am inspired by people across the globe who are committed to making positive changes, big and small, in their communities. I challenge you all (myself included) to take some time this holiday weekend (and throughout the year) to give back in ways that contribute to your community. I believe with intention and practice, we all can play a role in pushing our world just a little bit closer to the promised land that Dr. King spoke of.