A Note From the Editor: Appealing to Our Common Humanity

This year, as we honored Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's birthday, I was listening to Stevie Wonder's “Happy Birthday,” written in 1980 as part of the campaign by Stevie Wonder and the King family to establish the first holiday in the United States to honor a Black American.1 It took 3 years, but the campaign was ultimately successful. In 1983, Martin Luther King Day was established. I listen to this song often. It is part of my “Joy” playlist. I listen to remind myself that progress is slow and painful but possible. As I remind the students, Nelson's Mandela's autobiography was called “The Long Walk to Freedom” for a reason. On MLK Day, there is no shortage of quotes to choose from on social media. Bernice King noted the irony of how beloved her father is today, when at the time of his death he was one of the most hated men in America.2“Don’t act like everyone loved my father. He was assassinated. A 1967 poll reflected that he was one of the most hated men in America. Most hated. Many who quote him now and evoke him to deter justice today would likely hate, and may already hate, the authentic King”—Bernice King (January 18, 2025) It reminds me of how normalized certain actions, often fueled by hatred, can seem at the time. Just think, in the not-too-distant future we will look back at what is happening today and be appalled that we either supported or stood by and watched it happen. Why get involved? Many feel that education and health care should be apolitical. Yet, on July 1, 2026, the Federal Graduate PLUS Loan program, which many students rely on to fund their physical therapy education, will be discontinued for new borrowers. Students will need to rely on private lenders, which could have impact on access and equity and shape the future of the health care workforce. Yet, on January 24th 2026, we witnessed, one of our own, a health care worker, killed, while following his instinct and attempting to help. Yet, many of us live in fear of someone taking one of our students or our patients because of how they look or sound. I can appreciate why many educators and educational leaders want to attempt to remain apolitical. We want to ensure that students who hold different political views than their faculty can still feel welcome on college campuses. And the same for faculty and their leaders. Surely it is possible to create inclusive learning and work environments and stand up for human rights and civil liberties? It is no longer about politics. It is about common human decency. Yes, there are lots of good quotes to choose from on MLK Day, but the one that stands out to me is“The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people.” ― Martin Luther King Jr. I invite you to read Dr. Lisa Van Hoose's Guest Editorial and reflect on what freedom asks of education and us as educators.