When I picture my dad, I don’t just see him at his day job. I see him at Xavier’s games manning the timekeeper’s clock, at the swimming pools, at summer programs—always moving, serving, and surrounded by people.

It makes me ask a question I want you to consider too: What does it take not just to live a long life, but to live a life that feels full, connected, and meaningful?

Health injustice once called “the most shocking and inhuman” form of inequality. More than half a century later, that truth still shapes our lives—just under different names and systems. From access to healthcare and safe neighborhoods to the policies that determine who lives longer and healthier, the fight for justice is deeply tied to public health.

Reflecting upon Dr. Martin Luther King’s work and legacy including the Poor People’s Campaign, Dr. Michelle Easton invites readers to see voting not as politics, but as a health behavior—one that influences life expectancy, stress, and quality of life. As we honor Dr. King’s legacy, this piece challenges us to stop normalizing health inequities and to recognize civic engagement as a powerful tool for building longer, healthier lives for ourselves and our communities.