Remembering Martin Luther King, Jr.

LenoOn Monday, we will celebrate the life and work of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  This holiday is an opportunity to reflect on the power of political organizing.  While we should be grateful for all that past generations have achieved, we must recognize that we remain confronted with both old and new challenges.  When Dr. King went to Memphis in 1968 to support the sanitation workers’ strike, he was participating in the same fight for economic justice that we find ourselves in today.

I was a Junior at the University of Colorado on April 4th, 1968 when Dr. King was killed.  At that point there were only 11 Latinos and about 30 African-Americans in the student body.  Having studied much of the literature, I was known as a Latino scholar on the black civil rights movement.  The campus leader of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) came and asked me to join them and 26 black athletes to speak out about Dr. King’s death.  I told this young man that I would soon be entering law school and asked if my speaking out about King could wait. He looked me straight in the eye and said HISTORY CAN’T WAIT!  I joined those other students the next day at my first official protest.

Today in honoring King we also honor all the people who organized, marched, wrote, and spoke up for justice during the civil rights movement. We also honor all those in our communities today who fight for civil and human rights—those who give of themselves so that others can lead a better life and perhaps have their dreams come true.

Today there many opportunities to work for change.  Two opportunities to get involved this Monday in Washington State are below.  Dr. King would remind us that HISTORY CAN’T WAIT…

-One of our Civic Action: Delivering on Change grantees, Statewide Poverty Action Network, is organizing their 2010 People’s Summit and March on the Capitol in Olympia.  They will be talking to legislators about affordable housing and mortgage foreclosure protection, opportunities for low income families, the protection of safety net programs and critical services, and progressive revenue options.  For more information, click here.

-In Seattle, thousands will gather for the 28th annual region-wide Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration.  Workshops in the morning will be followed with a rally and March.  More information here.