“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice”
This beautiful quote is something that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. referenced several times in his writing and speeches. Although the words are most often attributed to King, they are, in fact, succinctly paraphrased from a sermon titled “Of Justice and the Conscience” by 19th century Unitarian minister and abolitionist, Theodore Parker, in which he says:
“I do not pretend to understand the moral universe, the arc is a long one […] But from what I see I am sure it bends towards justice.”
It’s not hard to see why these words inspired King as he fought for equality for Black Americans despite the harsh and violent opposition to civil rights activists, like himself, in the 1950s and 60s. Although the struggles King faced, and sacrifices he ultimately made, are beyond what most of us will ever experience, those of us who work towards a healthier and more equitable North Carolina also have reason to take solace in the idea of a just moral arc of the universe, even when where we stand on it seems a long way away from where we want to be.
It was indeed a long time from 2013 when, through the Affordable Care Act, all states had the option to expand their Medicaid programs in a way that would provide access to health coverage to more of their citizens, and when Medicaid Expansion finally took place in North Carolina on December 1, 2023.
However, looking back on that time from where we are now ( with over 270,000 North Carolinians already newly enrolled in “expanded” Medicaid ) this quote from Dr. King rings very true:
“We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.”
Despite North Carolina’s original decision not to take advantage of Medicaid Expansion, many advocates from every sector of the sate – healthcare, business, faith leaders and members, individuals advocating for their communities, families, or themselves – held on to that “infinite hope” for ten years in order to continue to fight to make it so that hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians now have access to low or no cost healthcare.
Today, with this accomplishment, it’s little easier to believe that we live in a universe that is ultimately just. However, it’s also ultimately our actions which create justice, and it is therefore up to us to maintain those justices that have been so hard won.
There’s continued work to be done to make sure the benefits of Medicaid Expansion reach every North Carolinian who is entitled to them, and also continued work so that those who might not be eligible for it will one day have access to equally inexpensive and comprehensive healthcare coverage, regardless of who they are.
Working for health equity never ends, and, as Dr. King also said, “The time is always right to do what’s right.”
