The Courage To Remain Maladjusted
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. lived a profoundly prophetic life, issuing a clarion call for our nation to end racial discrimination, economic injustice, and religious bigotry. He reminded us that there are some wrongs to which we should never adjust.
“I must honestly say to you that I never intend to adjust myself to racial segregation and discrimination. I never intend to adjust myself to religious bigotry. I never intend to adjust myself to economic conditions that will take necessities from the many to give luxuries to the few, [and] leave millions of God’s children smothering in an airtight cage of poverty in the midst of an affluent society. The madness of militarism, and the self-defeating effects of physical violence must not be our way of life.”
For Dr. King, this refusal to adjust was not born of resentment or rage. It was a moral commitment — a steadfast belief that people of conscience must remain maladjusted to injustice. To be maladjusted in this way is to refuse to normalize cruelty, overlook inequality, or accept oppression as inevitable. It is to act with compassion, courage, and a deep sense of responsibility to one another.
Today, many feel burdened by division, fear, and frustration. For some, the dream Dr. King envisioned feels distant — even fractured. Yet he warned us never to let injustice harden into bitterness or violence. When anger becomes our resting place, it corrodes both the individual and the community.
At Charlotte Area Fund, we believe that remaining maladjusted to injustice must be paired with service. We serve people as human beings — not as labels, categories, or stereotypes. We meet individuals where they are and walk alongside them as they build stability, opportunity, and dignity.
This is how we honor Dr. King’s legacy:
By refusing to adjust to injustice — and refusing to surrender our humanity in the process.
Nicholas V. Wharton, President & CEO
Charlotte Area Fund, Inc.
Mecklenburg County’s Community Action Agency
CAF staff members, Ashley Williams-Hatcher and Tracy L. Johnson, share how the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. inspires and impacts the lives of countless people worldwide. Click each image below to play their respective video.
