When hope & history rhyme

 "Of all the forms of inequality, 

injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane."

-- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

As public health professionals, how often have we seen this quote, attributed to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.? I have referenced it (and heard it referenced) in lectures and writings more times than I can count, and like so many others I hold it as a call to action. In preparing a post today in honor of Dr. King's commitment to the pursuit of social justice, I sought to find the specific source material for these words. And that is how I found this excellent contribution from Amanda Moore.

While reading Moore's piece I'm struck by two things. First, Dr. King's words, spoken at the 1966 convention for the Medical Committee for Human Rights, hold just as much power, relevance, and urgency as they did half a century ago. Second, Moore refers to a recent article by Gordon Bonnyman ("Helping Hope and History Rhyme: Why and How Every Advocate Can Help Realize Health Care Reform"), which was the catalyst for her own source material search. I haven't yet read Bonnyman's article, but the title clearly references Seamus Heaney's poem The Cure at Troy. I love this reference and think it's so appropriate in the context of health care reform and the pursuit of health care justice. Because while progress has been made, both here in the US and around the globe, we are far from achieving health equity. And as we continue to push forward, I will keep Heaney's words in mind, alongside those of Dr. King.
 
History says, don't hope
On this side of the grave.
But then, once in a lifetime
The longed-for tidal wave
Of justice can rise up,
And hope and history rhyme.

So hope for a great sea-change
On the far side of revenge.
Believe that further shore
Is reachable from here.
Believe in miracle
And cures and healing wells.  

(Excerpt from The Cure at Troy, Seamus Heaney)