January 9, 2025
A new year brings the annual observance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., born on January 15, 1929.
It is also an appropriate time to celebrate the vision of social justice, non-violence and equality, shared by both Dr. King and the Quakers whose values are the guiding principles of Lathrop and all Kendal communities.
Committed to Common Values
From the earliest days of their arrival in the American colonies in the 1650’s, Quakers (called The Religious Society of Friends) have been staunchly committed to pacifism, simplicity and equality for all people, regardless of color, creed, gender, age or economic status.
Like Dr. King, who paid the ultimate price for his values, early Quakers were also persecuted by both religious and civil authorities of the day.
Finding refuge in Pennsylvania, founded by Quaker William Penn in 1681, the Quakers played a key role in colonial society, promoting education and various social justice movements, particularly the abolition of slavery.
In August of 1963, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, Dr. King evoked the Quakers’ vision in his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech. That dream included racial equality, freedom and justice, unity and brotherhood and an end to racial discrimination… principles all embraced by the Quakers centuries before.
An Early Stance on Anti-Slavery
Enslavement of African people in America dates back to the early 16th century. Organized efforts by Quakers to oppose slavery began at about the same time. Notably, a group of Quakers in Germantown, Pennsylvania, wrote a formal protest against slavery known as the Germantown Protest. Its writers insisted that there is no room for slavery in a “virtuous and Christian way of living,” words that most certainly would have resonated with Dr. King.
The Germantown Protest set the stage for more concrete anti-slavery action on the part of the Quakers in later years, including a formal statement in 1758 urging the abandonment of slave ownership among Quaker communities due to its incompatibility with principles of equality and love for all.
In the 19th century, when abolition was beginning to gain steam, the Quakers were at the forefront of the anti-slavery movement in both America and Britain. The American Anti-Slavery Society included several Quakers, and Quakers also played a pivotal role in the Underground Railroad that helped many slaves escape to freedom. One Quaker, Levi Coffin, was even known as the “President of the Underground Railroad.”
Quakers and the Civil Rights Movement
Arguably the most prominent figure of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s, Martin Luther King, Jr. was aided by several like-minded Quakers in his quest for a “Beloved Community” characterized by justice, equality and love.
Quaker leaders and groups organized peaceful protests, marches, sit-ins and also provided financial and logistical assistance to the movement. One of Dr. King’s key advisors was a Quaker named Bayard Rustin who helped him strategize pacifist campaigns and shaped his approach to the civil rights movement.
Lathrop and the Quaker Way
The death of Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1968 left many to ponder his towering legacy in the peaceful pursuit of equality and justice for all. King’s example personifies the ideals by which Quakers have lived for centuries and by which Lathrop residents and staff still abide today.
Specifically, we live by:
- Honoring and respecting every person
- Encouraging diversity and inclusion and treating every person as an equal
- Fostering community through transparency, collaboration and listening
- Promoting continuous revelation and lifelong learning
- Acting with integrity and generosity
- Delivering innovative wellness and dignified health care
- Sustaining and improving the environment
- Building meaningful partnerships
This month, as we honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., let us think too of the Quakers who shared his dream.
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