Letter From the Desk of Cora Davis

Dear NDMV Community,

I’d love to honor Martin Luther King Jr. Day by reflecting on one of my favorite sermons that he wrote, “The Drum Major Instinct.”:

“And there is deep down within all of us an instinct. It’s a kind of drum major instinct—a desire to be out front, a desire to lead the parade, a desire to be first.”—Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., The Drum Major Instinct

The first time I heard those words, they made me take a cold, hard look in the mirror. They named something I had felt my whole life—a longing to be something great. For a long time, I believed greatness meant visibility, recognition, and being remembered. But Dr. King challenged that instinct.

“And this is the problem: the drum major instinct can be destructive. It can cause you to seek to be first by pushing others aside; it can cause you to seek to be first by ignoring the rights of others.”

He didn’t tell us to deny the instinct or pretend it doesn’t exist—he called us to transform it, redirecting our desire to lead into a commitment to serve.

After graduating from college in 2015 with a degree in Broadcast Journalism—and far fewer career plans than I expected—I believed my path to doing “something great” would lead me to working for a news station, a famous fashion magazine in New York, and eventually having my own talk show. I told myself, and others, that I wanted to have a platform to be able to encourage and inspire others. But looking back, I can see there was a drive in me to seek fame, for my own gain.

I knocked on several doors, following the drum major instinct to be out front and seen–I wanted to prove to folks back home that I had “made it”. Thanks to what I believe was divine intervention, instead of a desk behind a spotlight up north, I found myself in Montgomery, Alabama, beginning my days by saying, “Welcome to the Civil Rights Memorial Center. Today, we’ll talk about martyrs of the movement who often don’t make it into the history books.” (Photos below: The Civil Rights Memorial Center)

There, I learned that some of the most powerful stories never make headlines. I shared stories of people whose small, courageous acts shaped history—not because they sought recognition, but because they were committed to serving a cause bigger than themselves. Teaching visitors of all ages and learning from those who had lived through the Civil Rights Movement reshaped my understanding of greatness. It wasn’t about being out front—it was about standing firm, often quietly, in love.

Now, as Director of Communications for NDMV, I have the privilege of telling the stories of volunteers in a modern-day movement—young people who put love in action by choosing a year of service and, in doing so, help bend the moral arc of the universe toward justice. Each day, they take that same drum major instinct and turn it into something life-giving rather than self-serving.

Dr. King closed “The Drum Major Instinct” by saying, 

“If you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice; say that I was a drum major for peace; say that I was a drum major for righteousness.”

As we celebrate NDMV’s 35th anniversary, that vision feels especially alive. For 35 years, this community has chosen service over status, accompaniment over applause, and love made visible through action.

Today, I invite you to be part of that story.

Your generosity is one of the ways love takes action at NDMV. A gift—of any size—helps sustain our programs, support our volunteers as they serve, and ensure that this courageous work continues for another 35 years and beyond. 

Thank you for walking alongside us—leading not for recognition, but in love.

With gratitude,

Cora Davis
Director of Communications

Left: Sister Judy Tensing, Sister of Notre Dame de Namur & Right: Cora Davis