John,

Today, we honor and commemorate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the incredible legacy he left behind for us to preserve. You will undoubtedly see plenty of empty lip service in the form of sanitized quotes stripped of their context, from the very people hellbent on disrupting democracy and upending the lifelong work Dr. King and Mrs. Coretta Scott King fought so hard for all to realize.

It is shameful that too many of those making this empty lip service today are, in fact, fighting to uphold the very same systems of oppression he fought against. They would have us believe his work was finished and racism defeated. But we know all too well his work and life were cut far too short, with his fight continuing to this day.

Our youth, immigrants, Black, Indigenous, and other people of color are especially far too familiar with restrictive voter ID laws, intentionally excessive mail-in ballot requirements, voter purges, uncooperative voting hours meant to stifle the working class, excessively long lines, and so much more. Every day we must continue to fight for our democracy.

No matter how many “MLK appreciation” tweets, emails, or press releases we see from those responsible for this injustice, as long as they continue to implement and defend more barriers to the ballot box, they will continue to be nothing but lip service.

In true homage to the continued fight, we reaffirm Dr. King’s statement that “Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy.” We will not wait. The New Pennsylvania Project will continue to fight for what’s fair and what’s just in honor of Dr. King, Mrs. King and every single person who fought for Civil Rights.

Thank you for your continuous support and efforts toward a democracy that works for everyone.

In solidarity,

Team NPP