The Greensboro Four weren’t just challenging a lunch counter policy. They were reminding us of the courage and conviction it takes to not let dust cover the batons we’ve inherited, to understand where they came from, and to carry them forward to build a society that lives up to our highest ideals.

I’m grateful to be back near my hometown, prepping to guide the next generation of leaders on topics of ethical leadership and social responsibility at Penn State Smeal. And I’m grateful for the space to reflect on how moments like these are woven into the fabric of who we are and who we can become.

If you can’t get to Greensboro, I highly recommend the @smithsonianmag.bsky.social documentary Seizing Justice: The Greensboro 4. At $2.99, it offers details I didn’t get at the museum: www.primevideo.com/detail/Seizi...

As this work evolves, so do the forces that oppose it. Ignorance‑fueled hate is a potent source of energy, and too many influencers and politicians have learned that the easiest path to popularity is to ignite it.

We owe it to ourselves to remember that the work started by those four students doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It began long before them, they carried the baton an extraordinary distance — inspiring sit‑ins across the country — and it continues long after.

And last week, a federal judge appointed by Ronald Reagan said of the latest NIH research grant cuts:

“I’ve never seen government racial discrimination like this” in 40 years on the bench.

From @apnews.com: apnews.com/article/nih-...

Just weeks ago here in State College, someone burned a Pride flag 🏳️‍🌈 hanging at Faith United Church of Christ. The flag read “A Just World for All” — but, as too often happens, someone mistook their confusion for absolute truth and felt compelled to set it ablaze.

Moments like these are too often treated as historical snapshots, as if they’re fully behind us. The dark underbelly that led those four students to act still exists — and in many ways is fueled by the disconnection of our digital era. Its echoes are everywhere.

At several moments, as I tried to feel the weight of the emotions that must have filled that space, I found myself out of breath.

Their courage reshaped history. We owe it to ourselves to remember it didn’t end there.

This is where, in 1960, four Black freshmen refused to accept a reality where they could shop for toothpaste but weren’t allowed to sit and be served a meal.

The lunch counter area is fully preserved — original floor, chairs, and tables intact.

He toiled for years, without fanfare, on health issues that few in the world cared about. But he kept at it, day after day, building teams, empowering locals, and ultimately ensuring that millions of human beings avoided immense suffering.

Today, I am re-inspired to practice this lesson. 3/3

It was the disarming and warm presence of a person who found a way to align their heart and life's work, but who knew and empathized with the struggle of those who were unable to do so.

I left that talk most in awe of the consistency of his heart-led work. 2/3