HEALTH & WELLNESS
NRPA’s objective is to create a future where all people have access to the benefits of quality parks and recreation.
An Urgency to Act By Alyia Gaskins and Tiffany Pertillar
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e are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history, there is such a thing as being too late. This is no time for apathy or complacency. This is a time for vigorous and positive action.” — Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The year 2020 was difficult for all of us, individually and collectively. In addition to a global pandemic that not only illustrated, but also exacerbated, the grave health inequities that exist in communities across the country, we also saw firsthand that deep, pervasive and polarizing racism still exists, as we laid witness to numerous killings of Black individuals and people of color at the hands of police officers and vigilante citizens. This year marks the 58th anniversary of the iconic “I Have a Dream” speech that was delivered by Dr.
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King on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 1963. In his speech, Dr. King spoke about the complex but defining moment our country was facing at the time. He described for the nearly 250,000 people in attendance the fierce urgency that enveloped the moment and the devastation that loomed ahead if they chose to remain irresponsive to the call. There is urgency in the moment in which we find ourselves today. It’s a fierce urgency to act, to stand, and to speak out against injustices that have served only to divide our
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great nation instead of uniting it. As we embark on Black History Month and honor great Black leaders — both past and present — NRPA stands committed to answering that call and providing its members with tools and resources to do the same. NRPA’s objective is to create a future where all people have access to the benefits of quality parks and recreation. Doing so requires that all of us — NRPA staff, board and members — commit to intentionally engaging in the work required to recognize and challenge the systemic inequities that have created very different realities for communities of color. It requires that we put equity at the center of all we do, from how we strengthen the organizational culture within NRPA to how we prepare the park
