Earlier this week was Memorial Day, an annual commemoration honoring the brave individuals who have died while serving in the U.S. military. While we support the efforts of friends, family, and the wider community to recognize these dedicated people, today we encourage readers to further reflect on Memorial Day and how we as a nation choose to remember, honor, and sometimes, forget. How do we define and acknowledge sacrifice? Is there room in our current cultural and political reality to expand our understanding of what it means to give one's life in defense of freedom and justice? IofC envisions a future where we honor those who have given their lives for just causes that extend beyond the battlefield. Similarly, what are we to make of those who lost their lives, not in defense of our nation, but at the hands of it? What about the everyday people who have made the ultimate sacrifice as a result of state-sanctioned violence against marginalized communities? At IofC USA, we embrace and are constantly working towards the kind of city, state, and nation that is proud to recognize, commemorate, and honor the countless lives lost in the ongoing struggle for justice, freedom, equity, and peace, regardless of status, qualification, or position. Let us know how you have found yourself reflecting on Memorial Day and the nature of sacrifice. (fb)

"Yesterday marked the 100th birthday of Malcolm X. For this week's radical reflection, we are asking you to take a moment to consider this transformative figure in the movement for liberation and justice; a figure that was, and continues to be, widely misunderstood, misinterpreted, and manipulated. But when we push past the innacurate claims and misguided assumptions, Malcolm X's life and legacy serve as a powerful reminder that empowering, uplifting, and centering Black people is central to any liberation movement. He also serves as a potent example of embracing new ways of thinking, looking at the world in different ways, and not being fearful of facts. When reflecting on the 100th birthday of Malcolm X, what insights have you gained? Let us know in the comments." (fb)