As Circles of Courageous Commons continues to highlight courageous citizens and Americans Who Tell the Truth, we recognize Congressman Clyburn of South Carolina. In his statement on this remembrance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., he calls us to be bridge builders, working to diminish the divide between the rich and the poor. His words remind us of our work each day as people who share a planet. His memory of Dr. King a call for us all to do better each day. (pat)
In Honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Day 2026
In Jim Clyburn’s words, “As we pause to celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., I urge all Americans to remember his teachings on social justice. Dr. King is well known for his fight for racial equality; however, he was also a powerful voice for those living in poverty. We are missing his voice in the current dialogue as we witness the wealth gap growing ever wider and see candidates running for president denigrating the poor and most vulnerable among us.
Dr. King once said, ‘If man is to redeem his spiritual and moral “lag,” he must go all out to bridge the social and economic gulf between the “haves” and the “have nots” of the world.’ Instead of bridging the gulf, a segment of our society takes sport in demeaning the less fortunate. They would do well to remember Dr. King’s words, ‘The agony of the poor diminishes the rich, and the salvation of the poor enlarges the rich.’”
From Congressman Clyburn’s statement (linked). You can read more about his mentors in his book The First Eight by Jim Clyburn
Invitation: “We are [I am] missing …”
James E. Clyburn is the U.S. Congressman representing South Carolina’s 6th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives and Chairman of the Democratic Faith Working Group. He previously served as Assistant Democratic Leader from 2011 to 2018 and 2023 to March 2024, and House Majority Whip from 2019 to 2022 and 2007 to 2010, making him the first African American to serve multiple terms as Majority Whip. A native son of South Carolina, Clyburn has represented the state’s Sixth Congressional District since 1993.
Congressman Clyburn’s humble beginnings in Sumter, South Carolina, as the eldest son of an activist, fundamentalist minister and an independent, civic-minded beautician, grounded him securely in family, faith, and public service. A 1961 graduate of South Carolina State he began his professional career as a public-school teacher in Charleston, SC. (Read more at this link)
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Rep. Clyburn -- "Instead of bridging the gulf, a segment of our society takes sport in demeaning the less fortunate. They would do well to remember Dr. King’s words, ‘The agony of the poor diminishes the rich, and the salvation of the poor enlarges the rich.’”
It is inconceivable as Rep. Clyburn has said -- some people ridicule the less fortunate -- rather than work to address systemic poverty. This kind of cruelty and inhumanity has sadly, become a too common spectacle since he first ran for office. Moreover, questioning the necessity of empathy is related to this societal decline. May I, may we rise above this cruelty and work to bridge the tragic gap as Parker Palmer teaches.
To reach the other side we need to bridge the divide. It’s just the beginning.