Washington, DC — Democracy Forward President and CEO, Skye Perryman released the following statement in advance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day:
“Tomorrow, we celebrate the life and legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a day on which we reflect on the strides we have made towards achieving his dream and the tremendous work we have left to do.
“More than fifty years have passed since Dr. King’s assassination and yet many of the battles he gave his life for still rage today.
“During a 1959 speech at the National Bar Association convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Dr. King reminded us, ‘Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable. Even a casual look at history reveals that no social advance rolls in on the wheels of inevitability. Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.’”
“At Democracy Forward, we stand ready—against great odds— to help carry the work for people and our democracy toward Dr. King’s bold dream. We are grateful to the leadership and courage of so many communities across the nation who are united in building a future that is better than the past – and who will not tire in the work for an America as good as its promise, an America worthy of Dr. King’s dream.”
“Tomorrow, as the nation observes Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, executive power will be peacefully transferred to an incoming administration that has made it clear it will seek to reverse progress on civil and human rights, target people and communities based on their backgrounds, and undermine the ability of our government to work for people, our work to oppose hate and build a future for all Americans will continue in courts, in communities, and across the country. Before hundreds of thousands of people, Dr. King reminded all of us that ‘Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy.’ Those words ring true today. Now is the time.”
For more information about Democracy Forward, please visit www.democracyforward.org.
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