Thursday, March 28, 2024

Our moment for a movement

April 16, 2018 by  
Filed under Highlights

Our moment for a movement

BY ERIC TROY

Eric Troy

Any successful movement must have quantifiable results and measurable impact. And as we recognize the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s death, I would like to ask: what is your movement?

During my time at Morehouse College, the great Dr. Benjamin Elijah Mays — former Morehouse president and mentor to Dr. King — posed a question: “Is your family, community and the world a better place because of your service?”

On the shoulders and wisdom of those who marched and died in the 1960s, we have seen new movements emerge — #BlackLives- Matter, #MeToo and #NeverAgain — and renewed expectations for clear direction, measurable value, and real impact that can be felt in people’s everyday lives. When those conditions are met, movements can be sustained for a generation or longer.

Movement is defined as the act — or process — of moving people or things from one place or position to another. I would like to make reference to the definition of movement in terms of music. Movement in music is defined as a self-contained division of long work; each movement usually has its own tempo. A long, undivided composition is said to be in one movement.

As with the movement of music, all of us have a favorite song that we like to sing or hum. Before an orchestra plays, all instruments are warming up and reviewing their parts. The beauty of hearing an orchestra play is that when the conductor comes out and stands in front of the orchestra, all of the musicians are ready and know when to play and when to watch for direction. What a sound it is when the entire orchestra is in sync.

Dr. King’s vision — to establish a movement that would outlive him — was built on the foundation of improving the quality of life for others and uniting all races and cultures to support justice everywhere. What role are you playing in “The Movement”?

Eric Troy M.A. is the President & CEO of Eficionado, a Gahanna, Ohio-based brand transformation strategic partnership agency. He has over three decades of experience in education, advertising, marketing, media relations and sports development in both North America and South Africa — working with Fortune 500 corporations, and advising MLB, NFL, and NBA athletes in the area of brand and image marketing. Eric is considered an expert on black male leadership and community engagement, and has been featured on NPR and ESPN Classics. You can follow him on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and reach him by email at ejtglboal1@gmail.com.

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