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Today I stood in the gentle rain at the grave of Vincent Chin remembering his murder 41 years ago.  I read the following for those with me:

We are standing here today remembering a tragic injustice – the taking of the life of Vincent Chin 41 years ago.

Some of us remember that event as though it were last week. I can tell you where I was, what I was doing and what I did.

In a sense we are standing here because we are still waiting for justice and are rededicating ourselves to work for that justice.

In this case, justice won’t come in the form of a new “conviction” of those who murdered Vincent. We won’t see today the payment of a fine – long overdue.

However, the word “conviction” has another meaning. Justice for Vincent can come in the form of a shared conviction from each of us that we will expand our numbers and work together for the equality of humanity. We must work not just for the tens of thousands of Asian Americans who have experienced hatred but also for the numbers of African Americans, Native Americans, Muslims, Jews, the LGBTQIA community, asylum seekers and many others – all who in one form or another are under attack.

Today, the news reminds us daily that we are surrounded not just by those who hate but by those marketing hate. They promote hate by embracing the darkness of ignorance.

Martin Luther King Jr. should also be remembered today. Today is the anniversary of the Walk to Freedom in Detroit in 1963.

Dr. King told us, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

Our enemy is the darkness of ignorance. Our enemy has always been ignorance. We must fight ignorance with truth. We must shine our lights on this darkness.

We must embrace the conviction that we will work together for the day when the world is enlightened; when there are no longer marginalized and minoritized communities – no one to look down on, no one to abuse, no one to hate, just people equal and worthy of love.

Can we be united in our effort to promote love for the continuum of humanity?

I believe we can. Can we form the conviction that we will embrace all of the continuum of humanity with love? I believe we can.

The lessons of hate are easy, and so attractive for the ignorant. So it will take real conviction to embrace the true concept of love. I believe that this is the conviction that can bring a sense of justice for Vincent Chin – and for all of us.