On January 15, a group of Buddhist monks made their way through Charlotte, North Carolina, as part of their Walk for Peace. The walk, which began in Fort Worth, Texas, on October 26, 2025, is a 120-day, 2,300-mile journey that will end in Washington, DC. That day in Charlotte marked day 82 of their journey. The purpose of the walk is simple but profound: to remind us that peace is a practice, and to spread a message of compassion, kindness, unity, and nonviolence across the country.
As the monks approached the main road, where a group of us stood awaiting their arrival, it became eerily quiet. It’s hard to explain, but even with car engines still running, it felt like you could hear a pin drop. It was surreal. In a time when the injustice feels loud and things feel tense, their presence slowed everything down. It offered another way of being. I could feel my shoulders relax, my jaw unclench, and my breath deepen.
It wasn’t lost on me that January 15 is also the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King reminded us that peace and justice are inseparable. As he put it, “True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice.” We are living through a period marked by deep division, real harm, and a relentless stream of bad news. The injustice is undeniable. And so is the toll it takes on our bodies, our spirits, and our sense of hope.
Witnessing what’s happening in our country and the ripple effects across the globe has felt overwhelming. I shared my experience seeing the monks with my mom and admitted how weighed down I’ve been feeling, and how that heaviness has started to affect my motivation. After listening, she paused and said, “What the monks are doing—that’s the truth. All of this other stuff is not.” That’s stayed with me.
It doesn’t mean the challenges we’re facing aren’t real, because they absolutely are. But it reminded me how important it is to stay connected to what grounds us. Choosing peace doesn’t mean disengaging or avoiding hard realities. It means staying rooted in our values when things feel chaotic and uncertain. It means refusing to let injustice harden us or strip us of our humanity.
So I’m choosing to stay with that truth. The truth of what we’re working toward. The truth that peace and justice belong together. And the truth that how we show up, especially in difficult times, matters.
So I’ll leave you with this question: How will you promote peace and justice today?
About the Author
Mareisha N. Winters Reese is President and Chief Operating Officer of The Winters Group, Inc. In a previous life Mareisha was an engineer, she now runs the overall day to day operations that keeps The Winters Group running like a well oiled machine. She is a Black woman, Christian, wife, daughter, sister, friend, dog Mom, Gen X, introvert, analytical thinker, Native New Yorker, and current Southerner.
