On Jan 17, we observed Martin Luther King, Jr. Day — a day where we celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a son, a brother, a father, a husband, a friend, a scholar, a pastor, a leader, and so much more.
As the most famous figure of the Civil Rights Movement, King was a catalyst of change for desegregation, equal voting rights, and civil rights legislation (i.e. Montgomery bus boycott, March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom/”I Have A Dream” speech/Civil Rights Act of 1964, Selma to Montgomery marches/Voting Rights Act of 1965). However, he is less well known for being a staunch champion of the labor movement.
In King’s own words, “The labor movement was the principal force that transformed misery and despair into hope and progress. Out of its bold struggles, economic and social reform gave birth to unemployment insurance, old age pensions, government relief for the destitute, and, above all, new wage levels that meant not mere survival, but a tolerable life.”
Here are some key examples of his advocacy for, and contributions to the labor movement:
On May 21, 1962, King addressed the annual convention of the United Packinghouse Workers Association (UPWA), a union that had supported all facets of civil rights activity throughout the 1950s and 1960s. King said, “It is never easy to pioneer, but you did it while organizing a powerful industry whose abuses of public welfare were so extreme that they became a legend recorded in our literature by Upton Sinclair in his book ‘The Jungle.’ That jungle was finally cleared and civilized by legislation and the adoption of socially responsible practices,” referencing UPWA’s role in creating a more humane meatpacking industry for both workers and consumers alike.
On April 3, 1968, King was in Memphis, Tennessee, supporting the AFSCME Sanitation Strike, where workers demanded safer working conditions, after two workers were killed in an accident on a sanitation truck. This is where he delivered his famous “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech, in which he stated, “The issue is the refusal of Memphis to be fair and honest in its dealings with its public servants, who happen to be sanitation workers,” and called for the people of Memphis to ask themselves, “If I do not stop to help the sanitation workers, what will happen to them?” The next day, King was assassinated.
Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “The coalition that can have the greatest impact in the struggle for human dignity here in America is that of the Negro and the forces of labor, because their fortunes are so closely intertwined.” The best way we can honor Dr. King’s legacy in the labor movement, and in our daily lives, is to speak up when we or others experience unjust treatment, be inclusive in our efforts, and continue to use our collective power to spark the change we want to see in the world.
In solidarity,
Kayla Miller
Technical Assistant
Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
k.miller1@hvcc.edu
Published: Wed, 19 Jan 2022 13:00:45 +0000 by k.miller1