A statute of Martin Luther King Jr. seen in Montgomery on June 14, 2024. The slain civil rights leader would have been 96 on Jan. 15. (Ralph Chapoco/Alabama Reflector)
“The nation is sick. Trouble is in the land; confusion all around.”
I hear something similar to this all the time these days. Whether it’s a new wave of climate disasters, increasing fascism, or the overall feeling of economic stagnation, people in America are restless. We feel like we’re watching the end of days from screens in the palms of our hands. But that quote continues: “But I know, somehow, that only when it is dark enough can you see the stars.”
This of course comes from Martin Luther King’s final speech, delivered to supporters of the Memphis sanitation workers’ strike the night before he was assassinated. Like many of us today, he found himself confronted with both racial injustice and economic violence. And he understood that the foundation of civil rights could not ignore the plight of the working class.
GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.
Despite our politicians saying that they celebrate the memory of King, when Alabama’s Legislature meets in a few weeks, it is likely that lawmakers will continue to ignore the needs of working people. Last year, the Legislature passed SB 231 to crack down on our freedom to organize a union, the CHOOSE Act which will take at least $100 million from our public schools, and SB 129 which censors what is taught at Alabama public colleges. We are watching in real time as elected officials roll back Dr. King’s dream of a more fair and just nation. But there is still time for members of the state legislature to change course and truly honor his legacy.
Literally up until his last day, King was supporting striking workers who were fighting for basic workplace safety. He saw economic and racial justice as inextricably linked, not two siloed issues, and fought vocally for labor protections. If lawmakers really want to pay homage to the memory of MLK Jr., they should consider passing legislation like SB 22, which aims to hold accountable companies that exploit child labor to line their pockets.
Additionally, it is critical that Alabama workers remember that King understood unions as a powerful tool to help working people secure the rights and wages they are owed. As he also said in his final speech, “When the slaves get together, that’s the beginning of getting out of slavery. Now let us maintain unity.” We have the power to demand the dignity we deserve as workers when we stand together.
I hope this MLK Jr. Day can offer us all—whether we’re a sitting state representative or a working person who wants a stronger voice on the job—a moment to ask ourselves how we are going to fight to build Dr. King’s vision for a better world.
YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE.