Green For All Academy: Exemplifying the Dreams of Martin Luther King, Jr.

“There is nothing more tragic than to sleep through a revolution.”

That's the great Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at the National Cathedral in 1968, and it's how Green For All's CEO Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins introduces her smart and powerful essay in celebration of Dr. King's birthday, "Set the Alarm Clock: Don't Sleep Through the Green Revolution."

Ellis-Lamkins begins:

The revolution Dr. King spoke of in his speech at the National Cathedral in 1968 was one of the most transformative of the 20th Century—the painful transition from a racially divided America to an America stitched together, however roughly. But the sentiment holds true for every revolution.

Today, there’s another revolution underway—a revolution that is restructuring America’s energy future. It’s changing the way we work and live. In this time of rapid change, all those caught sleeping, or even hitting the snooze button, will be left behind.

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She continues:

It is time for the nation to wake up and fight for a green economy that addresses the health and opportunity of all communities. It will take a collective effort to make this happen. Dr. King’s story teaches us that one man alone cannot achieve this kind of meaningful change. It takes a movement. He empowered others.

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I implore you to read the whole thing, and if you don't already know of Green For All's amazing work around the country, please take some time to learn about it.

Ellis-Lamkins highlights the Green For All Academy, which trains young leaders "from communities of color and low-income communities across the nation" to help build the "inclusive green economy strong enough to lift people out of poverty." Take a look at their current class of "Academy Fellows."

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7o8Hg4IMjRM

An here's another video that Green For All made for Earth Day, but it also serves MLK Day aptly.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNszFwmSg2Y

I can't think of a better embodiment of the hopes, ideals, and dreams of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. than the work of Green For All.