"Braving temperatures in the mid-20s and a stiff west wind — and launched by the Black Awakening Choir‘s “Faithful, Faithful is Our God” — some 150 people joined in VCU Health‘s community walk to celebrate the legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

“We’ve heard the words equity, inclusion and belonging many times,” said keynote speaker the Rev. Marilyn Barnes, director of VCU Health’s spiritual care department.

“Equity, inclusion and belonging are actions, and they require action,” she said.

She called on participants to “take up the torch” to carry King’s message of belonging out into the world, reminding the audience of his lesson that: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that,” from his book “Strength to Love.”

“We must change the narrative of what’s in it for me,” Barnes said. “We must be unwavering in our resolve to be better and do better.”

Read more about the VCU Health Community walk and Rev. Marilyn Barnes Keynote speech on the Richmond Times-Dispatch website. Readers are able to view the article once, but a Richmond Times-Dispatch Subscription is required in order to have unlimited access.