Tomorrow, our nation will honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a man whose dream of an America that was truly equal for all its people has inspired generations of people to fight to bend the arc of the moral universe toward justice.
From the Montgomery Bus Boycott to marching across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, Dr. King’s actions challenged our society to be better and to come together to fight against the evils of racism, poverty, and militarism that divide us.
Today, we see the fruits of his efforts in the progress that’s been made over the past few decades. But we know much work remains to be done before we can say that Dr. King’s dream has been fully realized.
People of color are still fighting for voting rights, our system of justice still only works for a few, and the right for every worker to earn a livable wage is still not achieved.
Each day, fueled by our supporters, NAACP is doing its part in the fight to right the wrongs that remain. Many of us will be participating or have participated in activities and events that honor Dr. King.
Derrick Johnson, NAACP President and CEO, spoke at the 37th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration: Celebrating the Power of Voices at John’s Hopkins.
Lottie Joiner, Editor in Chief of the Crisis Magazine, spoke at Jackson State University’s 51st Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Convocation.
Eris Sims, NAACP Chief of Staff, will be a Keynote speaker at the Meridian/Lauderdale County Branch’s MLK Breakfast on Monday, January 21.
Aba Blankson, Vice President of Communication and Digital Media, will speak at Dreamweek in San Antonio, on the “What Makes Us Human” session. The mission of DreamWeek is to advance the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and other great humanitarians like him – by proliferating and modernizing their aspirations of a more equitable and enlightened society for all.
You, too, can honor Dr. King’s Legacy by taking one of the following actions:
- Share what Dr. King’s legacy means to you personally and your own dream for America
- Sign up to join us for Tuesday’s National Day of Racial Healing Tele-Town Hall
- Become a member of the NAACP or gift a membership to a friend or family member to help expand our reach in the fight make America more just.
Just as Dr. King led in his time, it is up to those of us who care about justice and equality for all to fight and lead in our time.
As we commemorate Dr. King, let’s all do what we can to ensure that people of color and other marginalized groups are not denied their civil rights and basic humanity.