DNC Statement on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
January 17, 2022
| In observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, DNC Chair Jaime Harrison and Chair of the DNC’s Black Caucus Virgie M. Rollins released the following statement: “For so many of us, Martin Luther King’s story and the movement he started has driven us to stand taller, push back harder, and advocate louder for the rights we know we deserve. A champion of justice, equality, and service, his story is intricately tied to voting rights in this country. As Republican state legislatures across the country continue to introduce suppressive voting laws that echo the time of Jim Crow, today especially we must take to heart the words and example of Martin Luther King. “Under the leadership of President Biden and Vice President Harris, the Senate is currently debating legislation that would protect and expand those rights that Martin Luther King and the Civil Rights Movement fought for. To honor Martin Luther King on this day and not vote for this legislation that would ensure voting access for every American is a disservice to his legacy. Invoking Martin Luther King’s name is a call to do what is necessary to ensure justice and equality. “Martin Luther King in his letter from a Birmingham jail had a quote that lives with us. He said, ‘We will have to repent in this generation, not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people, but for the appalling silence of the good people.’ It’s time for the good people of this nation to stand up to these attempts to suppress voting rights in the country.” |
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