In a heartwarming display of camaraderie, Wellstar team members gathered across the system to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s life and legacy as part of the health system’s annual program to recognize his profound impact on civil rights in the United States. This year, the program featured a compelling conversation with his eldest son, Martin Luther King III.
A humanitarian and civil rights activist in his own right, King sat down with nationally renowned journalist Monica Kauffman Pearson to discuss his parents' legacy of nonviolent and peaceful activism, and how their influence continues to shape his own life and efforts. The conversation centered on one of his father’s most famous quotes: "The time is always right to do what is right."
King discussed the importance of using constructive dialogue in times of conflict, sharing insights into how his late mother, Coretta Scott King, successfully convinced President Ronald Reagan in 1983 to sign into law a bill that created Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a federal holiday.In the conversation, Kauffman Pearson asked King how his father's legacy extends to health equity.
“I think we're making small steps. We need to accelerate it to gigantic steps,” King said, encouraging people to consider an important question: “What are you going to do to make your community, your nation, our world better?”
“Like Martin Luther King III, I believe we have a responsibility to make the world a better place,” said Candice L. Saunders, president and CEO of Wellstar Health System. “In healthcare, we seize that opportunity one patient at a time, serving with compassion and honoring every voice as we work together to enhance the health and well-being of every person we serve.” View excerpts of the conversation here.
