#220 - iChange Justice: Mel Hoover’s Bird’s Eye View of the Past to Transform the Future - A Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Special Premier for MLK Day...

Offering Lived Experience of the Civil Rights Movement and Wisdom needed for 2026. Hosts Joy Gilfilen and Karen Ball are joined by Civil Rights Activist Mel Hoover, a pillar of wisdom whose life experience bridges the worlds where Martin Luther King Jr. and his family walked and lived. We are profoundly enriched by this elder sharing his lived experience of the civil rights movement and his personal knowledge of his namesake, Dr. Melvin Watson, who was a close friend and mentor to the King family.

A trailblazer in ministry, education, and social justice, Mel opens the windows to bring in fresh air for a frank, grassroots understanding of what “I have a dream!” meant to “we the people.” This episode—the first of several—brings forward a powerhouse of lived experience from a challenging period of history to help us navigate our current times.

Inside this Episode:

• Predicting the Past: Mel explains why we must honestly examine our history to change our present. If we don’t understand how the "foot on the neck" functioned in the past, we cannot remove it in the future.

• The Messenger vs. The Movement: A deep dive into how Dr. King was the voice, but the community—especially the power of Black women—was the engine.

• Geographical Perspectives: Comparing the marches in Texas to the border-community perspectives of Whatcom County, Washington, to see how location shapes our understanding of race and restorative work.

• Logic to Legacy: We explore shifting from transactional, hierarchical systems to a Living Restorative Legacy based on shared humanity and the "eyes of love."

Mel Hoover demonstrates how focusing on local needs promotes positive community changes. Join us for this "Major League" conversation on rehumanizing the human race.

Available NOW on all streaming platforms. 🎧Broadcasting Thursday, Jan 22nd at Noon on KOYS-LPFM 94.1. 📻🕛