When we think of the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we think of a legacy of someone who devoted himself to the long battle to gain equity, compassion, freedom and justice. These battles continue today and were not “won, once and for all” in his lifetime. But the legacy and precedent he left behind still plays a critical role to this day.

As our nation begins a new chapter in her history, we take pause to honor the legacy left by Dr. King. His adoption of nonviolent resistance to achieve equal rights earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. King led the first nonviolent bus boycott, which lasted 382 days. The boycott led the Supreme Court to rule that segregation on buses was unconstitutional. On January 20th, Martin Luther King Day, many Americans are reminded of his skill as an orator and his words reach billions of ears through his powerful quotes that spread around the internet of today.

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.… We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.” — Martin Luther King, Jr.

What can advocates for any issue involving justice, like a wild horse and burro advocate, learn from Dr. King? We can learn that adherence to the core goals, speaking truth with bravery and moral action matter, even when hope seems elusive and obstacles deemed “impossible” to overcome.

“If you can’t fly — then run. If you can’t run — then walk. If you can’t walk — then crawl. But whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward.”

Any movement that aims to change something takes time. Forward, backwards, sideways, as those that want to keep a system running in the status quo push back. To create change you need to keep moving forward.

This weekend we honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

On this day

On this day in 2012, we published a short video on Youtube. Youtube was founded in 2005 and was gaining steam rapidly. In 2006, Facebook was created and Youtube videos found a new platform. A lot has changed since those early days. Video editing tools have gotten a lot better for small file social sharing.

The video was the first “wild horse” video to go viral reaching 3.6 million views (in those days, that was a lot). The video was quoted during our Ninth Circuit hearing in 2012 to open roundups to daily public access: “Is it bad enough for you?” said one Circuit Court Judge to another.

That caselaw has gone on to protect journalists in a wide array of pursuits. In the world of wild horses and burros, the case spurred the creation of a daily access policy and was instrumental in litigation that eventually shut down surgical spaying of wild horses. The fight is not over, but this important milestone stands as testament that the impossible is possible to achieve.

In 2024, two landmark court rulings solidified the fact that BLM has been skirting management planning and simply going right to removal plans. These two cases have ramifications far beyond the place they were won. This is called “strategic litigation.” (You can read an update from our legal team here)

We still have a long way to go to protect the wins we have gained and ensure we do not go backwards as we strive to move forward toward real reform. That is what advocacy is for everything, always.

“Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” ~ Dr. Martin Luther King

As wild horse and burro advocates we are united in our love for our wild ones. Let us remember not to give in to despair. Reform is possible even if we cannot see the entire path to achieve every goal.

Onward.

Our team is working hard in the field and in the courts. Without your support, none of our work is possible. Thank you for keeping WHE running for our wild ones!

By request we have relaunched our shirts. You can order a sweatshirt or t-shirt to support our work through February 1. All proceeds go to keep out team in the field, at the table and in the courtroom.

Just click on the image or click HERE if you would like to were your support for our wild horses and burros proudly while supporting our critical mission.