Topeka community leaders share what they've learned from the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

As people across the nation commemorate the legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., local leaders reflect in his impact on their lives, spreading his message and more.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is not only a day for remembrance on his achievements for the nation but also an opportunity for all to reflect on the hardships, risks and impacts he made for his dream of equality, justice, and unity for all to come true.

The Capital-Journal spoke with community leader Marcus Miller, educator Danielle Dempsey-Swopes and counselor Phelica Glass for their insights on how King left a legacy on their lives and the world around them.

The impact Rev. Martin Luther King has on life

For Dempsey-Swopes, associate dean for student affairs at Washburn Law, King’s impact on her life stems back to his work with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

“Dr. King worked closely with Charles Hamilton Houston and with Thurgood Marshall and their group to work closely with the plaintiffs and the families in this very community to move the Brown case forward,” Dempsey-Swopes said. “That's probably the greatest impact he has on my everyday life. We would not have had the educational opportunities that we all enjoy.”

Topeka City Councilman Miller said the impact MLK has on his life begins with his mother being born in the “mid-1960s” and his grandmother being born in the South.

“What it has taught me is that the nonviolent manner in which he preached is extremely important. MLK taught me to speak to injustice in a nonviolent manner while others taught me to be ready for whatever,” Miller said. “Through that, I show my children, my family, and my community that integration that he was speaking of is possible. It’s our job to speak to the injustice, but to be that integration.”

And being that integration is how King left an “indirect impact” on Phelica Glass, a licensed specialist clinical social worker and grief counselor.

“I truly believe that it's an honor to have graduated from Highland Park High School and to have the ability to further my education through scholarship funds that were given through the Martin Luther King program here locally,” Glass said. “So I was able to receive funds to go on to college, which definitely impacted my life. I believe that his advocacy work is a great part of my advocacy work for justice and empowerment for all people.”

Thinking differently about MLK Day today than as children

All three community leaders said they do think differently about the federal holiday today than they did as children growing up.

“And I'm going to think differently about it 20 years from now, because back then, especially growing up, my environment wasn't always in one where history was taught intentionally,” Miller said. “To me, I'm part of a family that has some education, but not enough to where that was a huge focus for us.

"And so now that it's such a huge focus for me now because I was able to attain a certain level of education that I want to continue to learn.”

Dempsey-Swopes said she wishes that people would read and educate themselves more.

“I think that people just sort of recite the 'I Have a Dream' speech and then kind of go home and sit down, and I really wish that they would read a lot more of Dr. King's work,” Dempsey- Swopes said. “Especially his 'Letter from Birmingham Jail,' because it talks about understanding the root causes of our protest and the root causes of oppression and the impact of oppression.”

Glass said she didn't understand the true sacrifices King and other activists were making at that time.

"It's kind of like you hear the stories and you're like, 'Ooh, that had to be hard, or man, that had to be tough,'" Glass said. "But the integrity and the courage that I can see as an adult reflecting on the sacrifices of Martin Luther King and those who walked with him and those who supported his vision, I can definitely see that it took a different kind of courage and a different kind of integrity than what we visibly see a lot of times in our leaders."

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Living King's legacy and spreading his message daily

As these leaders navigate their everyday life as faces of the community, each said they try to apply King's message throughout their lifestyle and careers.

Dempsey-Swopes said it's important for her to understand her students have had to endure some inequity along the way.

"I like to think that I do it by speaking up for the injustice inequities," she said, "and by using the systems and the processes that we have to make change pretty good, and to remind the powers that be."

Miller said he continues to stand firm in the values he believes in.

"I believe that I continue his teachings by showing every single person that I come across for love and respect that they deserve," he said. "I let people show me who they are, I don't tell them who I think they should be."

Glass said her career helps spread King's message across the community because of the work she does with her clients.

"The people that I work with from a mental health perspective oftentimes are not seen or are not heard because they quote unquote, are different or they struggle differently than others," Glass said. "So giving and providing space for people to be seen, for people to be heard, empowering their voice and taking them in without judgment, just allowing space and opportunity, I think is my way of living that legacy out loud.

"And living out loud is the other part of it. I think that we all could sit in spaces of quietness and just watch things happen, but when we step into the space of advocacy and empowering voice, we take a risk. Sometimes the message that I may say about leaning in and asking for help and telling people what you need may make people uncomfortable, but it also empowers them.

More: Here's how Topekans are celebrating the legacy Monday of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

"So, if one thing that I can do changes the view of community around mental health, then I think that I'm using that same kind of integrity and that same kind of courage to stand out front like Dr. King. It's just a different route."

Keishera Lately is the business reporter for the Topeka Capital-Journal. She can be reached at klately@cjonline.com. Follow her on Twitter @Lately_KT.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Topeka leaders share what they've learned from Martin Luther King Jr.