History gives me comfort even in the most troubling of times. When this current moment seems overwhelming, I remind myself how our ancestors fought for a better world—often against greater odds. Their stories inspire me, and history tells me that the hard path to a better world has been worn deeply from centuries of effort. History lets me know that regardless of where I am in the cycle of success and failure, I need to get up and walk down that road to do what I can, while I can.

In his final speech, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. discussed history. He was in Memphis, Tennessee to support a sanitation worker’s strike. The end of his speech is well known, but the opening has helped me process this moment of grief, fear, concern, and challenge.

Dr. King began with a discussion about what he would do if the Almighty offered to let him live in any moment of history. After considering so many pivotal moments of history, from ancient Egypt to the events that led him to be in Memphis, Dr. King said:

I would turn to the Almighty, and say, “If you allow me to live just a few years in the second half of the 20th century, I will be happy.” Now that's a strange statement to make, because the world is all messed up. The nation is sick. Trouble is in the land; confusion all around. That's a strange statement. But I know, somehow, that only when it is dark enough can you see the stars.

The stars that Dr. King saw that night were the movement—the people fighting for change—before his time, in his Memphis audience, and now.

Dr. King’s target time zone has been within my lifetime. I was born in 1956. The list of real victories for people and planet since then is impressive, especially when compared with the thousands of years of recorded history before my birth. And I have seen, over and over again, how significant victories are often followed by moments of pushback motivated by profit, fear, hate, and abuse of power.

In 1980, we were at a similar moment to the one we are in now. After an election fraught with dirty tricks and a questionable process, Ronald Reagan became President. He came to Washington, D.C., committed to overturning decades of gains made in Civil Rights, in labor justice, protecting the planet, promoting peace, and a more just world. The federal government was not going to be a partner on the path to a better world, it was going to be an adversary to those fighting for equity, justice, and social safety networks. A new way to create change was needed, one that provided ways for us to mobilize the economic powers we have as consumers, investors, workers, business owners, and community members to collectively push the world to a better place. It is in that space of hope—even before Reagan took office—that the mission of Green America (then called Co-op America) was created. Since then, working with coalition partners, green businesses, and—especially—with our members, we have made a difference.

The last forty plus years has not been free of trying times and through it all, Green America has paved the way towards a better world through inspiration, resources, education, campaigns, and hope. Since 1998, I have been part of this dedicated team, and sometimes I marvel at what we have accomplished. It is why, even in this disturbing moment of time, I have hope.

In the words of Dr. King, it feels like “that’s a strange statement” for me to make. Right now, the idea of “hope” seems strange and distant. And yet, I have hope. Why? Because of history. Because we stand on the shoulders of giants. Because we walk this path to a better world together.

Like Dr. King, if given the opportunity to be anywhere in time, I would also choose the moment that I am in—this moment in the 21st century. This moment when we get to walk the path together to make the world a better place.

It is dark now, but as Dr. King said, “…only when it is dark enough can you see the stars.” Stars are light traveling across time. They are the light of our ancestors guiding us on the path towards justice, shining in the sky to let us know that our time is now.

We are the stars we have been waiting for. And it is an honor to fight for change with each of you.