Martin Luther King Junior (MLK) famously said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” World Social Justice Day takes place on the 20th of February. This day was proclaimed by the United Nations (UN) in 2007 to bring further awareness to poverty, exclusion, inequality, and human rights violations, as said by Wikipedia.

       According to the Library of Congress, A. Phillip Randolph was an American labor unionist who founded the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. This aimed to serve porters working on the Pullman Company railroads. They had poor working conditions with long, hefty hours and little sleep, low wages, and were treated as less than human beings. Randolph didn’t work for this organization, so he could not be fired, which ultimately spearheaded his advocacy for the workers. In 1925, he was promoted as president of this union, and after twelve years of articles and cartoons, he succeeded in helping the porters earn higher wages, a shorter work month, and the right to be heard before being fired.

        One of the most influential figures in history whose voice continues to be heard far beyond his time is Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK). He was an activist; he used his words for the betterment of justice. He gained attention for peacefully protesting and speaking to the public, demanding that equality be heard. As reported by Stanford University, King’s notion of nonviolence held six important factors. One can resist evil without resorting to violence. Secondly, nonviolence seeks to win the “friendship and understanding” of the opponent. Nonviolence is meant to defeat injustice, not people. One must not retaliate or even hate a person when just circumstances arise; nonviolence chooses love, not hate, and lastly, the belief in the universe being on the side of justice. 

       As stated by the Malala Fund, Malala Yousafzai was an activist for gender equality and educational rights. In 2008, the Taliban took over her village, banning the education of girls. Later on, at just 16 years old, she spoke to the UN demanding that all children have access to education. She wrote her first memoir titleled I am Malala. This book recounts her journey living in a village controlled by the taliban, and her fight for equal education regardless of gender. In December of 2014, she won a Nobel Peace Prize, being the youngest to ever be awarded such an honor. Malala’s voice does not go unheard. To this day, she still speaks out for equal education, continues to write, and tells her stories to current generations. 

        Social justice has been influential throughout history to the present in fighting for a cause that must be heard. Nothing is more powerful than the voices of the past, current, and future. Leading up to this day, you as an individual can help by first educating yourself on social justice issues such as racial inequality and poverty discrimination. Secondly, take action. Volunteer to support organizations that are working towards the cause, advocate for equality, and include those who are different. Lastly, you can connect and listen to the stories of people with a different perspective. Remember, there is always a story to be told, accept others with nothing but love in your heart, fight for basic equity, use the voices of others to light the match, and burn injustice to the ground.