Put On Your Climbing Shoes | Music, MLK, and the Ongoing Climb Toward Justice

Описание: What if peace isn’t the absence of tension, but the presence of justice?
This MLK Weekend, I share the story behind my song Put On Your Climbing Shoes—written in Minnesota in 2009 and shaped by a multicultural artist community that taught me how to listen, learn, and keep climbing.

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This video is NOT commercially sponsored. This video is made possible by the Patrons of Heatherlyn Music. Some product links are affiliate links which means if you buy something Heatherlyn Music will receive a percentage of the sale.

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This MLK Weekend, I’m sharing the story and message behind my song “Put On Your Climbing Shoes.”

The song was written in 2009 while I was living in Minnesota, during a formative season of my life when I was deeply influenced by the multicultural artist and activist community of Minneapolis–St. Paul. I had the honor of singing this song at MLK weekend events through PeaceJam-affiliated youth leadership spaces like Youthrive, sometimes alongside Nobel Peace Prize laureates.
At the time, my Black and Brown friends and mentors resonated with the song immediately. Many white listeners felt it belonged to another decade. Looking back, I understand why.
In this premiere, I reflect on how:

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Mountaintop Speech continues to call us toward truth, courage, and collective responsibility

Unity does not mean bypassing injustice, and peace is not the same as passivity

My understanding of racism has been shaped through relationships, listening, and learning as a white artist in multicultural community

The message of this song feels newly relevant as more people begin to feel the terrain that others have been navigating for generations

This is a talk about the long climb—toward justice, beloved community, and a peace rooted in truth and love. It’s about staying tender without turning away, naming reality without losing hope, and choosing to keep walking together even when the path is steep.

I also encourage listeners to engage with contemporary voices carrying forward Dr. King’s legacy, including Bernice King, whose leadership continues to call us toward courageous love and moral clarity.

After the reflection, I perform Put On Your Climbing Shoes.
Thank you for being here, for listening with an open heart, and for continuing the climb.

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