Statement from Rep. Jayapal on Martin Luther King Jr. Day

SEATTLE — Congresswoman Jayapal released the following statement on the occasion of Martin Luther King Jr. Day:

“Dr. King was a once-in-a-generation leader, pushing for changes that were seen not only as impossible, but dangerous to society. Even in the toughest of times, he called on us to hope. We need to not only celebrate Dr. King, but stand up for his vision.

“It’s true that we are living in a dark time. Over the past two years, politicians have divided our country with fearmongering and ‘otherizing.’ They’ve turned brother against brother, neighbor against neighbor.

“We are working on all fronts – not just to restrain the heartless, as King once put it, but to out-organize and defeat them. We are standing up to protect immigrants. Marching to protect LGBTQ people. Standing with women. And standing up for racial and economic justice, which are deeply intertwined.

“Dr. King said, ‘the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends towards justice.’ Now more than ever, we need to recommit to the audacity to believe, dream and act for justice, for love and for compassion. That’s how we honor Dr. King’s legacy today.”

###

Issues: Civil Rights