Remembering MLK; Reflections from a CEO

Last year, when reflecting on the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., I noted that SEO would likely not exist without Dr. King. He inspired countless numbers of people to participate in the civil rights movement in some form or fashion, including inspiring Michael Osheowitz to found SEO in 1963. As we celebrate Dr. King’s life this year, I am struck by the multiplier effect that he continues to have today. It’s noteworthy that your involvement with SEO is also having an exponential impact.

The SEO impact far exceeds the 14,000 alumni worldwide who’ve benefitted from SEO, including those served by initiatives launched by SEO alums in San Francisco, London, China, Vietnam, and Africa. You are playing a critical part in creating a more equitable society – a dream shared so eloquently by Dr. King. A dream that you have helped thousands to realize through SEO.

Just as the work that Dr. King dedicated his life to is not over, SEO’s work also remains essential.

In 2020, SEO will prepare and propel over 4,000 young people towards academic and career success, allowing them to seize every opportunity with confidence. You are helping to make a lifetime of opportunity possible for the new generation of leaders, most of whom would not be prepared without SEO.

We’ll never know the actual number of people ultimately impacted by Dr. King’s words and actions. Similarly, your involvement in SEO is impacting many more people than you will ever know. Each SEO participant has family, friends, colleagues, neighbors, and others in their network whom they are influencing every day – using their gift of success to directly and/or indirectly inspire others to greater achievements.

Whether you are a staff team member, participant, alum, board members, donor, or volunteer; you are having a profound and exponential impact today . . . and in perpetuity. SEO thanks you, on behalf of our participants — including those whom you will never know.

We are kicking off the decade with renewed determination to continue to propel our participants towards opportunities that society has kept out of their reach. SEO is proud of our progress through our history, and we’re excited for a fruitful journey ahead.

Get involved with SEO today here.