01/19/2026
𝘖𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘊𝘌𝘖 𝘈𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢 𝘞𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘩 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘰𝘧 28,000 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘨𝘶𝘦𝘴.
𝐀 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐨 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞
Monday is Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the United States. The day was designated by Congress in 1994 as a National Day of Service. Every year, this day is an opportunity to honor Dr. King’s life and work. And, importantly, it’s an opportunity to look at our communities and reflect on what Dr. King’s example might mean for the work we have in front of us now.
As I reflect on Dr. King’s times and our current time, it pains me to see the similarities. Like the 1960s, we see anger in the streets, with people screaming into faces of strangers. We see failing trust in our institutions. We see people afraid to live their everyday lives because of the way they look or talk. We see violence erupting before our eyes or on our screens. We see relationships and bonds of all kinds strained and broken by division we don’t know how to fix.
And we struggle to find words to explain all of this to our children, whose future we hold in our hands.
This can’t go on. Our community needs to come together to find a way out of these challenges. The answers aren't clear or easy, but we need to find solutions. At HealthPartners, we need to live our values and lean into our work. We strive to be a place where everyone is welcome, included and valued, and that is more important than ever. Our patients and members need us to provide excellent care and coverage, and we must support each other in our work.
As I talk with leaders in our state and community right now, here is what I am saying and what I believe:
◆No person should be profiled, abused or demonized based on their race, religion, language, or the role that they play in our society. Period.
◆Immigrants are an important part of our community, our workplace and our neighborhoods. They, and all people, must be treated fairly, respectfully, and in full accordance with the law.
◆Law enforcement officers have a needed role in the safety and security of our community, including proper enforcement of immigration laws. They, and all in power, must show professionalism, be accountable, and act within the law.
Our nation’s history shows that finding the right path forward takes hard work, and that facing our challenges takes courage. Most of us were children or not yet born when Dr. King was killed in 1968. Most don’t remember from experience what it was like to live in those days. But then, like now, there surely were dark times when a brighter future seemed impossible.
In Strength to Love, a book of sermons published in 1963, Dr. King wrote: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."
I believe this. And I believe these words have meaning for us, in our community, in 2026. Today, and every day in the special work that we do, we have a chance to bring light and love. We have the chance to help heal our broken community, one person and one interaction at a time. In a time of division, we can choose unity for what really matters: the health and well-being of the people counting on us.
Yes, it is hard. Yes, it can be exhausting. But yes, it is why we are here. Together, we’ll create the better day that I know is ahead of us.
