Beloved Community

Eayikes is entering its 9th year! What began as an idea on a piece of paper and a made-up word has manifested into something beyond our imagination, but remains rooted in the initial intentions we had when answering the call to make the world a better place:

• Engage

• Empower

• Inform

• Inspire

• Citizens of a Community

EEIICC + a whole lotta childlike wonder = Eayikes!

Our understanding of history, systems, conditioning, and constructs deepens as each year unfolds. That understanding then informs how we shape our programs, the language we use, and the impact we’re making. It also reveals the legacy we’re a part of - movements and leaders whose dedication to loving others has paved the path we’re walking along in the here & now.

Martin Luther King Jr. is a household name. From the Political Left to the Right and all around the world, quotes from his speeches are used for all types of commentary on how we ought to treat one another. Something we’ve been meditating on is the concept of Beloved Community and how it helps define a core aspect of Eayikes. Here’s an excerpt from The Growing Edges of Beloved Community: From Royce to Thurman and King:

Indifference, integration, meaningful experiences of togetherness, time, restructure, human spirit, dream… Beloved Community is no doubt a big vision. It’s easy to get lost in the sauce of ambiguity, to question the plausibility of such a reality. Yet we’re reminded that the macro is a collection of the micro, and in our little corner of the universe, we’re well on our way to building Beloved Community.