This past weekend, we witnessed protests occurring all over the country, including Boston and Cambridge, and here at MIT.  At the heart of the protests is a yearning, and a demand, for equal treatment and equal protection for each and every person.  The protests included people from every segment of our society and were largely peaceful.

Although the protests were spurred by the recent series of police actions in New York, Cleveland and Ferguson, questions abound regarding our country’s commitment to equality on a broad scale.

In her first published blog as president of the Natural Resources Defense Council, Rhea Suh comments on the fact that communities of color are often the communities that suffer first and suffer most from pollution in our water and air, and in our food.  These neighborhoods are surrounded by factories, toxic waste sites, and landfills.  The health effects are devastating.

At an event at MIT, attended by more than 400 community members, Mareena Robinson, a 4th year PhD student, president of the MIT Chapter of Global Zero and a Radius Steering Committee, declared that MIT students have a special responsibility. She said, "We are leaders in the solutions-building business". 

Where lies your responsibility?  How can we, in large and small ways, help create a more just and humane society?  Protesting is a powerful way to express opinions, invite inquiry and provide information.  As Woody Allen once said, “90% of life is showing up”.   The showing up is powerful.  What is even more powerful is deciding what actions you’ll take once you show up.

The MIT Public Service Center provides myriad ways to take action in our local communities.  During IAP, you can apply for an IAP Community Service Work-Study.  Email studentworker@mit.edu for more details.   Investigate ways you can share your expertise, your knowledge, and your talents.  Show up and get going.

Photo by Matthew J. Lee, The Boston Globe