WHERE: Garfield High School (23rd and
E. Jefferson St, Seattle)
We are honored to be joined this year by
keynote speaker Jelani Brown, a young man from Ferguson, Missouri, who
was involved in the organizing in response to the police killing of an unarmed
Black teenager Mike Brown. He will speak about his experiences growing up in
the St. Louis area, organizing his community since Mike Brown's death, and a
vision of this movement going forward.
Seattle has one of the largest annual
Martin Luther King Day Celebrations in the U.S. We honor the Rev. Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr., for his work toward racial equality and toward economic
justice for all people, for his commitment to nonviolence, and for his stand
against war and militarism.
Our theme this year "Fight for
Your Rights in 2015!" reflects the unfinished work and our commitment to
working toward Dr. King's goals. As Dr. King said, "Three hundred years of
humiliation, abuse and deprivation cannot be expected to find voice in a
whisper."
Equally important to Dr. King, in
addition to demanding equal rights, was to conduct the struggle in a principled
manner, with self-disciplined activists using nonviolent means. Speaking
proudly of the demonstrations in Birmingham, Dr. King said that some spectators
had thrown bottles, "But the demonstrators remained nonviolent. In the face of
this resolution and bravery, the moral conscience of the nation was deeply
stirred."
Education was a big part of
all of Dr. King's campaigns, for instance he said in 1961, "In our glorious
fight for civil rights, we must guard against being fooled by false slogans,
such as 'right to work.' It is a law to rob us of our civil rights and job
rights. Its purpose is to destroy labor unions ... "
In 1959, Dr. King made this call
to the struggle, "As June approaches, with its graduation ceremonies and
speeches, a thought suggests itself... Whatever career you may choose for
yourself—doctor, lawyer, teacher—let me propose an avocation to be pursued along
with it. Become a dedicated fighter for civil rights. Make it a central part of
your life. It will make you a better doctor, a better lawyer, a better teacher.
It will enrich your spirit as nothing else possibly can. It will give you that
rare sense of nobility that can only spring from love and selflessly helping
your fellow man . Make a career of humanity. Commit yourself to the noble
struggle for human rights. You will make a greater person of yourself, a greater
nation of your country, and a finer world to live in."
If Dr. King were alive today, he
would be urging us all to "Fight for Your Rights in 2015!"
Information: James Williams
253-883-9548 or Eddie Rye, Jr., 206-786-2763
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