Change the Rules, Be the Power: Dr. King Honored with Recommitment to His Ideals

The partnership between minorities and labor has never been more vital than it is today. More than 1,000 labor and community activists explored the power of this solidarity during the 2016 Martin Luther King Jr. Civil and Human Rights Conference, Jan. 15-18, sharing tactics to build a collective civil, human and women's rights agenda for 2016. Sponsored by the AFL-CIO, the conference honored the legacy of Dr. King with workshops and panels on a variety of topics ranging from political activism, gender equality, racial justice, and organizing communities and workers of color. Dr. King was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1968 while helping striking sanitation workers – members of AFSCME Local 1733 – gain a voice on the job. He strongly supported unions. "[Labor] was the principal force that transformed misery and despair into hope and progress," said Dr. King. The opening panel, Change the Rules, described how labor and Planned Parenthood joined together to fight for all working families. Speaking of the super wealthy, AFL-CIO Pres. Richard Trumka warned, "When they divide us up, they can beat us. When we stick together, they can't." Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood, agreed, recounting how labor supported the organization during attacks on...

Source: AFSCME Blog Feed