Jennifer Rosa Pérez
Community Justice Project
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

At first glance, some might construe Dr. King’s last sermon (the “Drum Major Instinct” sermon) as a condemnation of those people who strive to become drum majors. I, on the other hand, view his sermon as a push for society to change its definition of “greatness.” Being a drum major, by Dr. King’s standards, does not involve ignoring the opinions of others; being a drum major does not involve patronizing those that seek your wisdom; being a drum major does not involve being overly and unnecessarily aggressive.

These are lessons that I learned from the drum majors at the Community Justice Project (CJP). As a Martin Luther King, Jr. summer intern, my opinion was never ignored and I felt like a valued member of the team. For instance, Larry Norton has asked for my opinion on the direction of various cases throughout my internship, to which I humbly replied with the best “1L reply” I could. Also, I knew that no team member at CJP would patronize a client seeking our help. For instance, the office’s paralegals, Benita Mejia and Natalia Gomez, never assumed that Limited English Proficiency clients were unable to learn how to become their own advocates. This was a sight for my sore eyes, as I have many friends whose parents were professors and engineers in their “home country,” but are cleaning homes in the United States. Lastly, I have learned that zealous advocacy is not a synonym for aggression. For instance, I have witnessed Peter Zurflieh remain calm in the face of adversarial skepticism and even aggressive, mentally-ill clients. The servant-leadership attitude, compassion, patience, and service exhibited by CJP staff makes them drum majors in their own right.

I only hope that I can join their ranks upon graduating from law school. That’s right- it’s final: Jennifer is going to be a public interest attorney. Although I have suspected that this was my calling since my high school years, my summer in Harrisburg has strengthened my resolve. In addition, I have become familiar with fields of law (other than “immigration law”) that would allow me to serve the immigrant population (which is my ultimate goal). For instance, I have learned that attorneys are able to help meet important medical needs of undocumented persons with Emergency Medical Assistance, which I did not know could include certain ongoing medical treatments. Conversely, I have learned that the Fair Labor Standards Act contains an “agricultural exemption” provision that prevents agricultural workers (many of whom are immigrants) from recovering well-earned overtime wages. Having grown up hearing stories from both of my parents about how hard it was for them to pick blueberries on New Jersey farms (“when they were children!”), I was immediately disgruntled.

That was my proof that each field of law has its unexpected nuggets of hope, as well as unexpected disappointments. Nonetheless, being a drum major means working with what you have and changing what you do not like. For instance, although CJP assists clients within the framework of currently established law, it has also helped successfully challenge discriminatory laws such as the infamous “Illegal Immigration Relief Act" of Hazelton, Pennsylvania. In my eyes, this is the perfect balance! One day, I hope to work for an organization, such as CJP, that provides short term and long term solutions for the disadvantaged.

Noting that Jesus himself was a carpenter who did not have much, did not write a book, did not hold an office, or even have a family, Dr. King emphasized that anyone (regardless of their education or socio-economic status) can influence human history. That is the beauty of being a drum major; anyone can be a drum major as long as their intentions are not distorted by the desire to outdo the Joneses. Although I am quite certain that I will never influence the world for centuries as Jesus did, I hope to leave at least one, very small, but permanent footprint in our world’s history by serving my community. For that reason, I am very proud to say that I want to be a drum major for justice.