John,

Today, we are honoring the radical legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. As we mark the 30th anniversary of MLK Day, a new presidential administration will be sworn in after spreading anti-Black hate and threatening to further take away our hard-fought rights. We must continue carrying forward the legacy of the civil rights movement to strengthen our rights and demand racial and economic justice for all.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. had a vision for a “Beloved Community,” a world where no one goes hungry, people have what they need to survive and thrive, and love and connection triumphs over hate, fear, and bigotry. Although that world feels far away, we are moving toward it each day in our communities, including when we join with our neighbors in grassroots groups pushing for change.

In my community, the group Oakland Forward is growing a strong and supportive network of activists and advocates who are shaping public policy like paid family and medical leave while confronting the ongoing challenges of systemic racism, economic inequality, and social injustice. Community-centered and led by and for Black and brown residents, Oakland Forward is building long-term power for a more just society like MLK's "Beloved Community" while serving marginalized people who are in need now.

Will you donate this MLK Day to support Oakland Forward’s ongoing work for systemic change and equity for all?

Thank you. As Dr. King wrote: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”  

As we move into a phase of emboldened hatred, it’s critical we stand together until we are all free. Please know you have an ally and a partner in me. Together, let’s carry on the legacy of MLK and the everyday people who made up the civil rights movement—people who were dreaming big in hostile times and who made our political institutions listen.

In love and solidarity,

Rashida

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Rashida Tlaib
Date: Sun, Jan 19, 2025
Subject: Honoring MLK’s legacy for racial and economic justice
To: [email protected]

John,

Tomorrow marks the 30th anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. One way we can honor Dr. King is by supporting the Black-led groups carrying on his legacy for liberation and making change happen in our communities.

As the civil rights movement showed us, people in Congress and the White House didn’t just wake up one day and decide to pass transformative policies like the Civil Rights Act. Transformative change doesn’t come from the government, it comes from everyday people pushing for our rights in many ways at once: through movements in the streets, the courts, campuses, and more.

I want to lift up Oakland Forward, a grassroots organization in my district that’s serving and empowering Black and brown communities and working for a more equitable society where people can live free from discrimination and oppression, akin to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s vision of a Beloved Community.

Dr. King recognized that racism and poverty are interconnected. Carrying on that legacy, Oakland Forward’s priorities include securing economic justice and pushing for meaningful policy change such as paid family and medical leave. As we enter a new political term with an openly hostile president that doesn't believe in the vision of Dr. King, let's come together in support of our community-based organizations like Oakland Forward. Their work to challenge systemic injustice and racism is more important than ever.

For MLK Day, will you chip in to the grassroots nonprofit Oakland Forward, which is carrying on MLK’s legacy for racial justice and a more equitable society?

“We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now,” said MLK in April 1967. “Now let us begin. Now let us rededicate ourselves to the long and bitter, but beautiful, struggle for a new world.”

This Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, we are still struggling for that world. Please know that you always have an ally in me in this ongoing work. Together, we will continue the struggle our movement ancestors led.

It’s an honor to continue to serve you and all the residents of my district in my fourth term in Congress. I’m committing to partnering with my constituents in the fight for equity and justice for all, including guaranteed civil rights for everyone.

Onward together in solidarity,

Rashida