“Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?' — Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 

On Monday the nation honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. — who dedicated his life to fighting for justice and Equality for all people. Through peaceful activism he empowered so many and changed the course of history for this great nation. Dr. King reminded us that only love can conquer hate; he reminded us we need to walk before we can run; he reminded us that we cannot be silent about things that matter.

Salesforce had the honor of hosting Rep. John Lewis, Representative of the 5th Congressional District of Georgia, who spoke about his experience marching with Dr. King in Selma, to be a part of the bus boycott, and what it meant to stand up for what they believed was right. Rep. John Lewis called his work of civil disobedience “good trouble.” Today, we as a company have committed to standing for what is right and creating real change within our workforce and in the communities around us. We use beacons like Martin Luther King Jr. and Rep. John Lewis to guide us on our path forward together.

We believe that businesses—and the people who run them—have the power to create real social change. For us this has meant a commitment to the 1-1-1 model and a dedication to ushering in the Age of Equality. We know that we are stronger and more effective as One Ohana, made up of our employees, partners, stakeholders, and tech industry. We encourage all to join us in honoring Martin Luther King’s legacy by spending the day giving back.

At Salesforce, we’ve called on our employees to use their VTO hours to continue Dr. King’s legacy. For instance, our Black employee resource group, BOLDforce, is volunteering by walking in the 2017 MLK Freedom March with thousands in our community to honor the infamous Selma march and Voting Rights Act of 1965. Join them on this commemorative march by registering here.

There are volunteer opportunities across the country, so wherever you are you can spend the day making a difference in your community. Find a variety of activities here: https://www.nationalservice.gov/mlkday.

As the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “the time is always right to do what is right.”