This weekend, National People’s Action is highlighting an effort to “reclaim” the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. memorial holiday from “efforts to soften, sanitize, and commercialize” his legacy.
“We resist efforts to reduce a long history marred with the blood of countless women and men into iconic images of men in suits behind pulpits,” proclaims the #ReclaimMLK action page on FergusonAction.org. “From here on, MLK weekend will be known as a time of national resistance to injustice.”
The campaign was launched Thursday with a “day of resistance” that featured planned demonstrations in several cities around the country. The events continue with a “day of resilience” on Sunday and a “day of action” on Monday, the official Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.
“The civil rights movement brought about enormous change in our society, yet our entire political and economic system remains rigged against Black Americans,” the organization said in an email to supporters today. “Until we transform those systems, we’ll all continue to suffer. That’s why it’s crucial that we honor Dr. King’s radical legacy by continuing the fight for racial justice in our country.”
The message goes on to say, “The uprising against police violence and the growing Black Lives Matter movement can change the way America thinks about race and economic inequality, but only if we continue to take action.”
This post has been updated to correct the relationship National People’s Action has to the #ReclaimMLK effort. It is a partner in, not a leader of, the set of events.
