Voting Rights, Other Progressive Priorities On The Line Usher A Somewhat Different MLK Day
“If you really, truly want to honor Dr. King, don't dishonor him by using a Congressional custom as an excuse for protecting our democracy,” Pelosi says
Martin Luther King Jr Day — observed on the third Monday of January as a federal holiday annually since 1986 — often has been a focal point for Americans to perform some volunteer service work and mostly reflect on King’s famous “I Have A Dream” speech.
However, this year’s 36th observance in honor of King seemed to demand more.
Federal defense of voting rights by most Democrats in the nation’s capital was a top priority in the name of the slain civil rights champion the nation stopped to honor Monday.
But more, too.
After so many years of white America, well, whitewashing and neutering much of King’s historical message, 2022 became a year for the nation to begin to reckon with the fuller version of his legacy.
Democrats are wrestling with drumming up support to reform the filibuster — at least enough to allow for the Senate to pass voting rights legislation aimed at countering the vast number of laws passed largely in red states which are designed to suppress the vote, particularly that of Black and brown Americans who typically vote for Democrats.
They used MLK Day as a rallying cry for their cause, despite the prior crucial public defection of Sen Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona who said that she would not support any filibuster reform.
“If you really, truly want to honor Dr. King, don't dishonor him by using a Congressional custom as an excuse for protecting our democracy,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who has been fighting for voting rights legislation since Joe Biden was sworn in as president, said of the filibuster.
King’s young great-granddaughter, Yolanda Renee King, also spoke out on the holiday.
“While I...am not old enough to vote, this fight is personal for me. It’s our future these elected leaders are deciding. It’s our voices they are trying to silence because they know our voices are powerful,” the younger King said.
Others, particularly his daughter Bernice, chose to try to expose the nation to a richer picture of King than is often written in too many history books.
“Share this clip of my father. We must study him beyond the end of 'I Have A Dream.' (and that's taken out of context, too,” King’s youngest daughter tweeted.
The Rev Dr William Barber II, a minister and social activist, echoed the need to see and appreciate Martin Luther King Jr's larger message.
“It's wrong on an #MLKDay to only talk about #votingrights and not talk about poverty and economic issues,” he said.
Robert Reich, the former labor secretary and progressive YouTuber and influencer, tweeted one of King’s important-but-lesser known quotes, from 1967: “The problems of racial injustice and economic injustice cannot be solved without a radical redistribution of political and economic power.”
Meanwhile, over on the political right, Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga) observed the day — unsurprisingly — with an inappropriate and outrageous comparison, according to the Democrat trying to unseat her.
Greene used MLK day to announce that she believes we are “seeing a new segregation and discrimination beginning,” comparing vaccine mandates to the civil rights movement, according to Democratic candidate Holly McCormack.
“She is absolutely disgusting and must be removed,” McCormack said.
Do you find this post of value?
Please subscribe…