Describe a random encounter with a stranger that stuck out positively to you.

Two Major Leaders Were Assassinated Within Two Months

The assassinations of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4 and presidential hopeful Robert F. Kennedy on June 6 were two of the most tragic events in American history. The violence shocked not only the U.S. but the world, particularly as it came on the heels of the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy and civil rights leader Malcolm X in 1963 and 1965, respectively. Despite the devastation that followed — and the fear that their progressive voices and visions for the country would be forgotten — the legacies of King and Kennedy continued to inspire and motivate people for decades to come. 

King, who led the civil rights movement and helped bring about the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, is honored every year on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and continues to inspire the fight for racial equality and civil rights. Kennedy, in his final years, worked to bridge racial divides, address overlooked class issues, and end the Vietnam War. The senator galvanized a new generation of voters and activists, and his influence is still feltin American politics and social justice causes today.

Describe a random encounter with a stranger that stuck out positively to you.

Last summer I was getting gas and I saw a guy sitting on the curb who looked like he needed help, I asked and he said he was out of gas and didn’t know what to do. He had a gas can so I knew he wasn’t just begging, I offered and filled up the 1 gallon can he proceeded to put the gas into a vehicle that was next to a pump. I know that one gallon is not going to get you very far so I proceeded to swipe my credit card and filled up his tank. He was surprised at my gesture of good will and thanked me and I thought that was the end of the interaction. I went back to fill my own tank when I felt a tap on my shoulder the guy that I had just helped thanked me again and asked if I could do one more thing for him… I assumed that maybe he was hungry or something which I would have without question bought him a sandwich but that wasn’t what he wanted, he asked if he could give me a hug… nothing else just an act of kindness for my generosity. This caught me off guard but I excepted the hug that simple act of humanity was more profound than any thank you and has stuck with me.