From Center Left to Right: Yolanda Renee King, Arndrea Waters King and Martin Luther King III, lead the DC Annual Peace Walk: Change Happens with Good Hope and Dreams Across the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge for Dr. Martin Luther King’s Day in Washington, DC
Image by Samuel Corum / Getty
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From Center Left to Right: Yolanda Renee King, Arndrea Waters King and Martin Luther King III, lead the DC Annual Peace Walk: Change Happens with Good Hope and Dreams Across the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge for Dr. Martin Luther King’s Day in Washington, DC
Image by Samuel Corum / Getty
As events honoring the memory of Martin Luther King Jr begin across the country, descendants of the slain civil rights leader demand politicians push for federal suffrage reform.
During Monday’s protests, members of the King family said there could be no “celebration without legislation.” That means there would be no light service to King and his legacy without support for Democratic voting reform bills, Martin Luther King III said.
“Today, remember the true nature of my father’s job. He fought for easy ballot boxing and civil rights protection. He was not a puppet to advance programs. backward agenda. We won’t celebrate until Congress does its job and legislates,” King’s eldest son said on Twitter.
Today, recall the true nature of my father’s work. He fought for easy access to ballot boxes and civil rights protections. He is not a puppet used to advance backward agendas. We will not celebrate until Congress does its job and legislates. #DeliverForVotingRights #MLKDay pic.twitter.com/JxOWptzjGq
– Martin Luther King III (@ OfficialMLK3) January 17, 2022
Freedom of Voting Act will set new minimum standards for early voting and by mail, among other provisions. The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Promotion Act seeks to restore key elements of the landmark Voting Rights Act that have been weakened by Supreme Court decisions.
President Joe Biden and Democrats are trying to pass the Lewis Act this week. To do so, they are trying to get rid of the filibuster, a rule of procedure that requires a threshold of 60 votes to bring legislation to debate. But they faced serious opposition from members of their own party, who didn’t want to see changes to the film, as well as from Republicans.
Activists march in memory of MLK and voting reform
On Monday morning in Washington, DC, members of the King family led hundreds of protesters in a march across the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge. Despite the frigid weather, masked marchers held up signs calling for voting reform, the creation of a DC state, and an end to dismemberment.
The group continues to Walk for Peace Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. two miles through the city, until it reached Union Station, where House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and other lawmakers spoke at a news conference.
“Nearly 60 years ago in March in Washington, Dr. King declared: ‘Now is the time to fulfill the true promises of democracy”. Pelosi said in a statement. “Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children.” Let’s heed those immortal words by strengthening our democracy and guaranteeing liberty to every American. “
People walk past the Frederick Douglass Bride Memorial during DC’s Annual Peace Walk: Change Happens with Good Hope and a Dream on Dr. Martin Luther King’s Day.
Image by Samuel Corum / Getty
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Image by Samuel Corum / Getty
People walk past the Frederick Douglass Bride Memorial during DC’s Annual Peace Walk: Change Happens with Good Hope and a Dream on Dr. Martin Luther King’s Day.
Image by Samuel Corum / Getty
A similar protest took place in Charleston, W. Va., when a group of protesters blocked traffic in the city to draw attention to the voting rights law.
About a dozen protesters were arrested after sitting at an intersection, according to local reports.
The group specifically appealed to the Democratic Senator of West Virginia Manchin, who staunchly opposes the termination of the footage, to vote on the Lewis Act and “fix the film”.
In Atlanta, other members of the King family gathered with local activists and politicians to remember King at Ebenezer Baptist Church, the church where he served as pastor.
Bernice King, Executive Director of the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, spoke about her father’s legacy and nonviolent methods in her speech.
“If there was ever a time when the world needed a love-centric way, now is the time,” she said.
The broader message remains the same: The way to honor the King’s memory is through voting rights legislation.
“To truly honor the human legacy we honor today, we must continue to fight for freedom to vote, for freedom for all,” Vice President Kamala Harris said. in a shared speech.
Volunteers who participated in The King Center’s MLK Day service project in Atlanta, despite the cold weather conditions, get a surprise from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex provided local Black-owned food trucks to feed volunteers.
January 15 marks the 93rd birthday of King Jr., who was just 39 years old when he was assassinated in 1968 in Memphis, Tenn.
