TGMH Honoring MLK Day in 2023 

TGMH Honoring MLK Day in 2023 

By: June Lim 

 

On January 16th we celebrate the life and dream of MLK and reflect on the impact he has had on racial equality and what still needs to be changed today. 

 

What does MLK Day symbolize? 

 

On this day we are encouraged to reflect on the structure of racial equality and how to achieve it through non-violent means. MLK persevered and fought for racial justice in hopes of a society that could one day be equal. – for people to be aware of the need to rectify historical injustices amongst people of color. 

 

What does MLK Day mean to TGMH? 

 

At There Goes My Hero, we have several programs to help those impacted by blood cancer, like our diversity initiative and inclusion called, Color the Registry. Nationally, people of color are underrepresented on the bone marrow registry, this means they have a difficult time finding a donor compared to those with European ancestry. African American patients only have a 25% chance of finding a donor compared to those of European ancestry who have a 79% chance of finding a match. Many people of color (POC) do not have access to quality healthcare which results in them not knowing of the bone marrow registry’s existence and issues that come with the lack of diversity. 

 

MLK Day provides There Goes My Hero the opportunity to discuss these inequalities and take the steps of advocacy and education to fix them.  

 

What can you do for TGMH on MLK’s Day of Service?  

 

1. Research and educate yourself about the bone marrow registry. Learn about its purpose, the process for registering, and the importance of diversity for people of color (POC). 

 

1. Share information about the registry with friends, family, and community members, especially those who are POC. This could be done through social media, in-person conversations, or by organizing informational events or workshops. 

 

1. Reach out to local organizations or advocacy groups that support POC health and see if they would be willing to partner with you or host an event to raise awareness about the bone marrow registry. This could be especially impactful, as these groups may already have a relationship with and trust within the POC community. 

 

1. On this year’s Day of Service, we encourage you to sign up to volunteer with Hero! We have several Bone Marrow Drives and Hero events throughout 2023 and we are looking for dedicated volunteers. To learn more about getting involved with Hero please visit, https://theregoesmyhero.org/get-involved/. If you would like to be a Hero volunteer, please sign up for one of our information sessions at https://bit.ly/TGMHInfoSessions. Your services could potentially save a life!