On MLK day this year, MLK’s family announced that instead of celebrating, they are going to be protesting for more equal voting laws in the United States. While these protests have been supported by many people and organizations (Planned Parenthood, Move On, National Urban League, etc.), last year many voting acts were still stopped in their tracks, and even filibustered, in congress.
The King family led the Peace Walk at Washington and protested in support of the Freedom to Vote Act, which would make election day a national holiday and ban partisan gerrymandering, among other things. The Senate began ruling on the bill on January 25th.
Bernice King, MLK’s youngest daughter, tweeted to politicians publicly celebrating Dr. King that if they truly believe in his sentiments, they would push for policies that MLK fought for (Anti-racism, aid for the impoverished, and more).
The family members are bringing up a larger problem that has been talked about much more in recent years. Performative Activism, the act of “supporting” controversial activist figures while not taking action that supports their supposed stance, has been a topic of much contention in marginalized communities for a long time.
Martin Luther King III, Dr. King’s son, states that “It is easy for politicians to tweet out an MLK quote or wish everyone a good holiday, but to actively fight for equality as MLK did would honor his legacy more.”
MLK III and his wife, Andrea King, wrote for CNN that “Our leaders shall not pay lip service to Dr. King’s memory while refusing to live up to his ideals”, and pointed to how many states are “gutting” the Voting Rights Law of 1965, making it harder for people- specifically people of color- to vote.
In this article, MLK III also highlights the sordid history of filibustering, showing that even since the time of Jim Crow, where segregationists would filibuster to maintain racist laws, filibustering has been used as a tool to prevent change, especially changes that would aid marginalized POCs and generally protected minorities in America.
The issues brought up by the King family do raise an important question about the nature of the holiday: Is it right to celebrate MLK Day while policies and movements he fought for are being dismissed and ignored? The King family has certainly led by example in this regard, marching and fighting for not just equality, but equity and protection of civil rights in the modern day.
As of 1994, MLK Day has been designated as a Day Of Service, and many people utilize the national holiday to volunteer. While this does align with MLK’s ideals, perhaps it is more important to ensure the legacy of Dr. King’s efforts remains protected for the foreseeable future. The King family certainly contends so, on this MLK day.
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