MLK: Lest We Forget

Posted April 6, 2009 at 11:51 AM

http://www.afscmeblog.org/2009/04/06/mlk-lest-we-forget/

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968 in Memphis, Tenn., where he traveled to support AFSCME sanitation workers fighting for fair wages and recognition of their union: AFSCME Local 1733.

Dr. King did not live to see the full realization of his dream. Nonetheless, the cause of equality and economic justice to which he dedicated his life remains as relevant today as it was four decades ago.

Our country has made definite progress toward ensuring the doors of the American Dream are open to all. As Pres. Barack Obama said in his inaugural speech, this is “why a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.”

But the fact of the matter is this: when it comes to completely fulfilling Dr. King’s dream of an America with abundant opportunity and shared prosperity and when it comes to making sure the American Dream really is in reach for all, this nation still has a lot of work to do.

When 47 million Americans lacking health insurance and those who have it see their premiums skyrocket beyond their means, it’s clear that we need quality, affordable health care for all.

When national unemployment stands at 8.5 percent, we need to stop layoffs and ease the burden on state and local governments so they can keep providing vital public services in times of need.

When the middle class continues to get squeezed out of existence, and more than half of U.S. workers – 60 million – say they would join a union if they could, we must give them this possibility. We need the Employee Free Choice Act to restore the freedom to bargain for better wages, benefits and working conditions without harassment from employers.

In other words, we must create an America that lives up to its ideals – the ideals expressed in Dr. King’s dream.

Author Michael Honey's video features footage of the 1968 AFSCME Memphis Sanitation Workers' Strike.; Report from WREG-TV in Memphis; AFSCME; McEntee; memphis; MLK; Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the 1968 AFSCME Memphis sanitation workers' strike; 1968; AFSCME; memphis; MLK;