
We Will Not Share the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Day with Racists
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., fought against injustice everyday—so must we
“We who believe in freedom cannot rest” are lyrics from a song by a women’s acapella group called Sweet Honey in the Rock. Although this song was written in 1988, it is very much a Civil Rights anthem.
Most will agree that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. believed in freedom and did not rest in his pursuit of freedom and justice for all people around the world. He stood shoulder to shoulder with workers, poor folk and the disenfranchised.
Dr. King did not rest and was always present whenever he was needed.
- He was present at the convention of the Medical Committee for Human Rights where he declared, “Of all forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhuman.”
- He was present at the White House in a meeting with President Lyndon Johnson where he and other Civil Rights leaders advocated for the passage of Civil Rights legislation.
- He was present at the United Nations for the anti-Vietnam demonstration.
- He was present in Cicero, Illinois to demonstrate against segregation in housing in the North.
- He was present in Memphis, Tennessee to stand with the sanitation workers.
Today is the 39th observance of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday and this year coincides with the inauguration of the 47th President of the United States. Rather than be dismayed, let us appreciate the serendipity of the day because yet again the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is present. On this day that our country desperately needs to believe in freedom, we cannot and should not rest.
We honor Dr. King’s life through daily action to end inequity in healthcare, as well as voting rights, environmental justice, housing, workers’ salaries and organizing rights and educational accessibility. Join our call to action this year to fight racism and inequality in all its guises.
In honor of Dr. King,
Maryam Ar-Raheem for the PDA National Team
We especially honor King by following his vision: resistance to war, racism/sexism, and economic injustice. What does that mean today? Activism and community-building is required of us more than ever.
Michael Honey, Emeritus University of Washington Professor and Harvard Radcliffe Fellow
In Jacobin, 55 years Since King
https://jacobin.com/2023/04/mlk-death-memphis-strikers-labor-civil-rights