Let me say to you tonight, that whenever you are engaged in work that serves humanity and is for the building of humanity, it has dignity, and it has worth."
-- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., March 18, 1968

As we reflect today, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s words are as relevant today as they were over 50 years ago.

Dr. King taught us that all work as dignity -- whether you punch a clock or swipe a badge, earn a salary or make tips. Whether you're raising children, or caring for aging parent. No matter who you are, where you live, or what kind of work you do.

However, we know all too well that not all work is treated with dignity. The past year in particular has made that abundantly clear.

The pandemic has laid bare a corporate business model that treats so many workers as expendable -- and we know it's not a coincidence that those are often Black and brown workers.

The murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and too many others over the last year are devastating reminders of the systemic racism that robs Black Americans of their dignity -- and too often, their lives -- every day in our country, whether on the job, walking down the street, or sleeping in their own bed.

And just two weeks ago, we all witnessed how white supremacist domestic terrorists storming the U.S. Capitol were treated very differently than Black Lives Matter protesters peacefully marching for justice and civil rights.

Black and brown Americans built this country, but have never been treated with equal dignity. Working to change that isn't just a part of our movement -- it's at the heart of it. Our grassroots movement for the Dignity of Work, inspired by Dr. King's words, is a movement for the dignity of all people. We must continue to heed Dr. King's words as a call to action to do better for all workers and all Americans.

There's cause for hope on that front.

Senator-elect Raphael Warnock, who preached to the same congregation that Dr. King's father began leading in the 1930s, when Jim Crow still ruled the South, was elected as the first Black senator from Georgia. His victory was the product of years of work by Black organizers building change from the ground up in their communities. And it was made possible by Black voters, who turned out in record numbers, even in the face of relentless voter suppression.

And this week, Kamala Harris will stand in front of our country and take the oath of office, as our first ever Black woman vice president.

With her and Joe Biden in the White House and a Democratic Majority in the Senate, we have an historic opportunity to break down systems of racism and oppression in our country, restore confidence in our government, and bring us closer to the just and equal society Dr. King dreamed of. Now, it's up to us to seize this opportunity.

With gratitude,

Sherrod***Paid for by Friends of Sherrod Brown***

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