Goddard College alumnus Alex Rodriguez was recently featured in the Boston Globe about how the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. shaped his community activism and public service career.

Rodriguez helped organize the 1965 civil rights march from Roxbury to Boston Common alongside MLK. Being in charge of security, Rodriguez ensured King safely led over 20,000 people demanding equality and justice.

Reflecting on that historic day, Rodriguez says he’s most proud of absorbing King’s message to “show up.” As Rodriguez explains, “If you want to succeed, you got to show up.” He took those words to heart.

He showed up to combat educational inequality with the Task Force on Children Out of School. He showed up on the MA Commission Against Discrimination, serving for 15 years.

In 1995, Rodriguez brought his passion for service to the national level under President Clinton. But he returned to Boston to show up as a congressional candidate in 1998.

Recently honored as a “Hero” on Boston’s 1965 Freedom Plaza, Rodriguez says accolades still surprise him. He was just doing the work. But at 82, with a long legacy of activism, he hopes the next generation shows up to carry the torch.

As Rodriguez says, “Get up every morning and say, ‘What change can I make today?'” He’s asking Goddard alumni to continue showing up, speaking out, and creating positive change. That’s what he learned from King. And that may be Rodriguez’s most enduring lesson.

See the article here: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/02/22/metro/alex-rodriguez-martin-luther-king-jr/