While we can’t pay back those who sacrificed their lives to create a better life for us today, Hakim believes we can pay it forward for future generations. “I think about the physical price my Black ancestors paid – from slavery to emancipation to the Jim Crow era to marching in the Civil Rights Movement – I’m a beneficiary of that.” “I remember the sacrifice it took for me to be here today and have the opportunities I do,” said Hakim. Before he begins the day, he always pauses for a moment of remembrance and personal reflection. This year, he plans to follow in his father’s footsteps by speaking to a small group of teenage boys in hopes of mentoring and connecting them to voting resources. “I’ve always viewed it as an obligation to do the same work centered on human rights, in service to those who engaged in the civil rights struggle.”įor past MLK days, Hakim has focused on racial equality and equity, poverty, hunger, social justice, and education. “I’ve been honoring MLK Day for as long as I can remember,” Hakim said. MLK Day is just one of the days throughout the year where he steps away from his day-to-day routine and spends time uplifting others in his community. Hakim practices the same servant leadership in his community that his dad showed him.
His parents instilled in him that life is about the collective work and responsibility we all have to ensure that everyone in the community has their basic needs met for the opportunity for a better life. Hakim’s childhood taught him a powerful lesson – life is more significant than meeting one’s individual needs. “Some of the earliest memories I have with my father are going out into the community to advocate for voter registration, hosting food drives, and establishing rites of passage programs for young men,” said Hakim. Hakim’s father (center) is surrounded by Hakim’s sons. While growing up during the 1970’s and 1980’s, Hakim watched his dad bring people together – from the churches to the streets – to fight injustice, educate youth and serve the underserved with food, clothing, and books.
STRUGGLE LIKE FATHER LIKE SON FREE
His dad worked at a shipping yard but spent his free time as an activist in the Black community. Hakim was introduced to civil rights activism at a young age during his childhood in Philadelphia. It’s a day to truly commit to championing human rights around the world. But for Kimberly-Clark’s vice president of global manufacturing, Hakim Richard Savoy, MLK Day is more than a day to do good deeds and kind acts. (MLK) Day is celebrated as a day of service in the United States in honor of civil rights activist Dr. Hakim Savoy serves as the vice president of global manufacturing at Kimberly-Clark.ĭr.
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