Dear John,
From Dream to Action
A message from CWA President Claude Cummings Jr.
Today we honor, as a union and as a nation, Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King Jr., one of the greatest civil rights leaders in our shared history. Dr. King’s legacy is a point of national pride and has been celebrated at the federal level for over 40 years. Many of you reading this never knew a time before he was a national hero. But there was.
In this country, during the struggle that would shape both King’s life and his death, he was villainized, scapegoated, and branded an enemy of the state. His peaceful protests were seen as acts of aggression against a system he was never meant to influence. And many, even those he counted as allies, called for a slower, less confrontational approach.
But when Dr. King saw injustice and brutality being inflicted on the innocent, he could not wait. The urgency of the moment called him, and thousands of others, to step up in defense of those who could not defend themselves. We honor him, not only for his famous dream of equality but also for his action. Anyone can dream of a brighter future. History belongs to those who can translate that dream into reality.
Today, just as in MLK Jr.’s time, the working class is under attack. Federal agents are abducting working people from their jobs, from their churches, and from their homes. These workers are being labeled “terrorists” in much the same way civil rights activists, including Dr. King, were labeled threats.
But King taught us, in the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the Sanitation Workers Strike, that economic justice and civil rights always go hand in hand. Every contract is a verdict on how much control you will have over your own destiny. Every negotiation is a fight for your freedom.
Today we reaffirm our commitment to that fight and to one another. The labor movement is all of us—active members, retirees, and students preparing for their careers. It reflects our values of solidarity, equality, and justice. And we will not stop until, as the song says, freedom rings from sea to shining sea.
In Unity,
Claude Cummings Jr.
President
