“Let us be those creative dissenters who will call our beloved nation to a higher destiny, to a new plateau of compassion, to a more noble expression of humanness.” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 

Today, on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, we pause to reflect on these words, on the unfinished work they call us to continue, and on what a more just, more compassionate, and more humane America looks like in 2026. 

Dr. King believed that justice, compassion, and dignity were not abstract ideals, but daily responsibilities. Responsibilities we carry forward in how we lead, how we govern, and how we show up for one another.

That belief guides the work of Speaker Joanna McClinton every day: fighting for dignity in the workplace, fairness in our economy, equal justice under the law, and a Pennsylvania where everyone has the freedom to thrive. It is present in her belief that government can and must be a force for good, led with moral clarity and grounded in service to the people.

On this day of remembrance and service, we recommit ourselves and our nation to that higher destiny and to the steady, hopeful work of making it real.

With gratitude for Dr. King’s legacy, and with resolve to carry it forward, 

Team McClinton