Looking to Martin Luther King Jr's Work to Embolden Our Own

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At the 1963, Civil Rights march in Washington DC, Martin Luther King famously delivered his I have a dream speech. One famous line reads, I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."

In honor of Martin Luther King (MLK) Day, I have been meditating on the parallels between 7 Cups, the Civil Rights Movement and Martin Luther Kings work. What if we lived in a world where there was no stigma surrounding mental health? Where we could speak openly with friends, family and neighbors about our struggles and pain? What lessons can we learn from history to drive this reality forward? Here I will explore these questions.

For those who do not know - Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) was the leader of a movement dedicated to racial equality. He advocated for a just and free society no matter your racial heritage. MLK was most well known for leading peaceful protests, which earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. 89 years after his death, America is still struggling to find equality and faces many of the same challenges faced during the civil rights movement.

A movement is a group of people with a shared purpose who actively work to create change and impact society. It is a group of people who believe firmly in their message and want to share this message with others in the hopes of supporting, educating and empowering others to speak up. Movements can be small or large in scale. They require challenging the norm, using your voice and sticking up for what you believe in.

When was the last time you stood up for something you believed in? Used your voice or actions to deliver a message? Or maybe, a simpler question - what do you believe in? What idea or message would you be willing to fight for?

One thing I love about our community is that it embodies many of the same qualities that MLK embodied and taught. Like the civil rights movement, we aim to treat everyone, no matter their background equally, with kindness and warmth. We believe everyone deserves to get help and we open our doors for free to over a million people every month. We believe that living with mental illness is not something that should be hidden from society and the relationships in our lives, for we have learned time and again that when stigma goes down, love, compassion and support go up.

I want to live in a world where people can speak openly about getting support for mental health concerns. A world where stigma doesnt stop someone from getting the help that they desperately need. That instead of being seen as a personal weakness, mental illness is seen as a medical condition that can have disastrous medical implications if not treated.

There are many incredible organizations in the world aiming to reduce stigma around mental illness. Today, I am wondering - what are we doing in this department? The mere fact that 7 Cups must be an anonymous site, indicates some amount of hiding is needed and helpful in getting support. Being anonymous is an incredible safety net that we desperately need, but what if we lived in a world where we didnt have to be anonymous in seeking emotional support? I wonder what this world would look and feel like? How we would treat one another? Close your eyes and imagine.

Mental health still lies in the shadows of society. As a community, I wonder if we should be taking a more firm stance with the outside world in advocating for transparency, love and openness when it comes to mental health. Do we have the courage to stand up and use our voices like MLK did?

7 Cups is a community, but, whether we recognize it or not, it is also a movement. A movement we have not set on fire yet. Its embers are burning and looking for more logs. The future of 7 Cups is bright, but I hope today, in honor of the lessons learned from MLK and the Civil Rights Movement, that we can each take a moment to reflect and think of one thing we will do to share our communities mission with the world so that more people can get help.