Friend,

With Inauguration Day falling on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, it’s understandable that this year’s King holiday does not feel like a moment of celebration. Today ushers in a new era in Washington “in which those with power have pledged to dismantle efforts that promote diversity, equity and inclusion, while the assault on our civil and voting rights persists,” Southern Poverty Law Center President and CEO Margaret Huang writes at The Daily Kos.

However, we can find a path forward in the words of King, particularly in his call for economic justice. Huang notes that King “believed that a multiracial coalition of poor and working-class people could come together to demand better jobs, wages, housing, education and health care. He called for the prioritization of people over profit and for more equitable distribution of wealth and resources.”

That same struggle continues today. Pursuing King’s vision is a way to protect his legacy and advance economic justice and racial equality.

“By building coalitions with others who are vulnerable and helping them understand that prosperity does not have to come at the expense of any community, we can ensure that our voices reverberate through our town halls, our state legislatures and our nation’s capital,” Huang writes.

In solidarity,

Your friends at the Southern Poverty Law Center

The SPLC is a catalyst for racial justice in the South and beyond, working in partnership with communities to dismantle white supremacy, strengthen intersectional movements, and advance the human rights of all people.

Friend, will you make a special gift to support our work in the new year?