MLK Jr Run and Service

ERA of……..WTF…….joy and resistance

Today is MLK Jr. Day. Despite the President’s lack of acknowledgment—despite calling Dr. King a bad person and suggesting that the civil rights movement made white people feel bad—the struggle for civil rights has never stopped. For over 400 years, this fight has been constant. And yet, here we are.

Today, the men of BMR Boston held their Day of Service. We ran a mile, a 5K, or 5 miles with backpacks full of food, delivering donations to local refrigerators and pantries in Cambridge.

It was cold and snowy today. Last year at this time, it was also snowy, cold, and extremely windy. The start time had to be moved later because people needed time to shovel out. When I arrived at Marathon Sports in Cambridge, our Saucony rep, Alexis, had muffins waiting for us—and later surprised us with crepes.

As a bonus, three BGR sistas showed up. We had a strong turnout, and seeing the BMR guys felt like being with family.

Captain Jeff led the way as we ran toward Harvard University. As our historical director, he shared information about Harvard’s history and its involvement with slavery. I originally planned to run three miles, but positive peer pressure and the joy of running together kept me going. Being in community made me happy.

The support, laughter, and energy were everything. People outside greeted us—hellos, high fives, smiles—and some even stopped to talk when they saw us running. Most of that acknowledgment came from Black folks, and it meant a lot.

Positive peer pressure lead to 57:54- 5.02 miles. Winning all the way.