On Monday, January 20, 2025, we honor Martin Luther King, Jr. and his legacy. Dr. King was a phenomenal leader who understood that the struggle for equality and justice was more than just about the present moment. One of his more famous quotes was exactly about this: “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.” One of his lesser-known quotes also reflected this: “Now I’m not one to lose hope. I keep on hoping. I still have faith in the future. But I’ve had to analyze many things over the last few years and I would say over the last few months, I’ve gone through a lot of soul-searching and agonizing moments. And I’ve come to see that we have many more difficulties ahead and some of the old optimism was a little superficial and now it must be tempered with a solid realism. And I think the realistic fact is that we still have a long, long way to go.”
We are at a point in time in history of rapid change and advancement. At the same time, many of the things Dr. King fought for 60 years ago are still the same things we are working towards today in our society—such as racial equality, safe and affordable housing, and educational opportunity and living wages for all. One of the most powerful effects of Dr. King was his enduring belief that though the equitable society he envisioned was far in the future, his hope and encouragement for all to work toward progress regardless was part of his magnetism: “We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.”
We work in a system that we know is fundamentally inequitable. Youth committed to OYA unfortunately reflect persistent trends in disparities in the juvenile and adult court system, with the differences for African American and Native youth in close custody being the largest:
We know that racial disparities in the juvenile justice system are not something that can be solved in 5 or 10 years. However, we have made significant progress at OYA in recent years. In 2019-20, OYA identified Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion as an Agency Key Initiative. Since then, OYA has seen improvements in several key areas – inclusive education and training, policy change, uplifting youth voice, expansion of culturally specific programming, diversification of the workforce to better reflect the youth we serve, and the creation of our equity lens guide.
Increasingly nationwide we have seen a backlash and pushback against DEI efforts. Oregon Youth Authority’s commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion remains unwavering and we will continue to deepen our work this year. One of our four key values is Respect—we treat others with fairness, dignity and compassion, and we are responsive to their needs. OYA recognizes diverse voices and perspectives enrich our ability to serve youth’s cultural and developmental needs, while creating environments where everyone’s identities are valued and appreciated. As Dr. King said, “The time is always right to do what is right.”
One of the things that Dr. King believed in that unites staff across the state is the desire to serve and the belief that the work we do makes a difference in the lives of the youth in our care: “Everybody can be great…because anybody can serve.” Today we reflect on one of our country’s greatest leaders and his unwavering commitment to progress, regardless of the current circumstances. As Dr. King stated, “Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable… Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.”
Today we honor and remember Martin Luther King, Jr. and encourage you to reflect on his enduring legacy. Of a man who believed in an equitable future, and uniting people from different communities and backgrounds to see his vision and work towards it.
In honor of MLK Jr and our shared hope for the future, please join us in advancing this important work through exploring trainings and resources.
