BIAS

Bias is a four letter word.

I was struggling to find the right four letter word for this Martin Luther King, Jr Day.  It took me all day, pondering the various angles to stumble upon it.

Bias.  Prejudice.  Unfairness.

Bias based on race.  Or on social status.  Or on wealth and class.  Or on many many other things.

These were the things that Dr. King fought against.  And while on some levels he succeeded, and others his dream has yet to be fully realized, there is no doubt that he transformed how we, as a nation, view prejudice and bias.  There is no doubt that he raised the awareness of people who conveniently ignored such bias, stripped power from those who rested their authority on that bias, and taught those suffering from it to stand up for themselves.

How much are we, consciously or unconsciously, biased in our daily lives?  How much do we let that bias control us?  How do we get past our own biases to do real good for others and for ourselves?