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My name is Leslie Hinkson, and I am the Chief Officer for Racial Justice & Equity here at League of Conservation Voters. Typically, Black History Month is an annual celebration of the role Black people have played in shaping U.S. history. This year, however, the very idea of celebrating this history has come under attack, and the legacy of leaders in the fight for civil rights in this country has been co-opted to serve the interests of Trump’s and Musk’s extreme agendas to roll back much of the progress made by Black Americans since Black History Month was officially recognized in 1976. |
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If you asked people in this country to name one significant Black figure in U.S. history, Martin Luther King, Jr. would probably be the person named most often. But even with that level of name recognition, most people in the U.S. only know a fraction of his contributions to making this a more just and inclusive society. They might know about Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, and that he was assassinated for his tireless activism, but the majority are unaware of his role in creating the Poor People’s Campaign. |
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In his work to ensure that Black people were able to exercise their civil rights and enjoy full citizenship, Dr. King realized that economic inequality and poverty were impediments that were as or more significant to achieving that dream than Jim Crow. And poverty made it difficult for Americans of all racial and ethnic backgrounds to access the rights of full citizenship. |
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These first few weeks of the Trump administration have revealed a president who is willing to double down on wealth inequality and who cares more about finding money to pay for tax breaks for billionaires than for food and housing for the vast majority of people in the U.S., especially the poor and income insecure. This is not the future Dr. King died for. For King, justice and inclusion were frames through which to make this nation stronger. Trump’s vision couldn’t be more different. |
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LCV will continue to honor the legacy of Dr. King and other Black activists as we work toward a more just and equitable future for all. |
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Leslie Hinkson
Chief Officer for Racial Justice and Equity
League of Conservation Voters |
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