Dear friend,

Today, we honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Every year around this time I make it a point to read something from the vast collection of letters, speeches, and writings by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as a reminder of his profound impact and all he has done to advance civil rights in America.

In years past I have read his I Have a Dream speech, a powerful call for civil and economic rights; Letter from a Birmingham Jail, written while he was imprisoned for protesting nonviolently; Our God is Marching On, a speech delivered in Selma with a message of faith, justice and nonviolence and his Letter to Coretta, an intimate letter to his wife and partner in the movement. Every year I read something from Dr. King.

This year I chose to read the sermon he gave after 4 little black girls, Denise McNair (age 11), Addie Mae Collins (age 14), Cynthia Wesley (age 14), and Carole Robertson (age 14) were killed when nineteen sticks of dynamite exploded at the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama on September 15, 1963, just three weeks after the March on Washington.

In his sermon, MLK said “in a real sense they have something to say to each of us in their death. They have something to say to every minister of the gospel who has remained silent behind the safe security of stained—glass windows. They have something to say to every politician who has fed his constituents with the stale bread of hatred and the spoiled meat of racism. They have something to say to a federal government that has compromised with the undemocratic practices of southern Dixiecrats and the blatant hypocrisy of right-wing northern Republicans. They have something to say to every Negro who has passively accepted the evil system of segregation and who has stood on the sidelines in a mighty struggle for justice. They say to each of us, black and white alike, that we must substitute courage for caution.” 

“They say to us that we must be concerned not merely about who murdered them, but about the system, the way of life, the philosophy which produced the murderers. Their death says to us that we must work passionately and unrelentingly for the realization of the American dream.” 

Dr. King imagined that these children would be demanding answers from the community, clergy, and elected officials to not merely be concerned with who committed the murders, but what.

We are once again in a moment where we must ask ourselves not just who, but what our society is creating. What hatred is being nursed to full adulthood. What beliefs and ideas about natural superiority are creating a permission structure that makes us numb to violence, even when we see it with our own eyes.

Unfortunately, the fight for equal treatment of all in our country is far from over. Today’s climate is alarmingly similar to that which Dr. King fought against in the 1960’s. We must ask ourselves, as Dr. King did in his eulogy, what is breeding this hateful environment? 

We do not need to look back at our history books to read about the discrimination Dr. King fought so hard to end, we witness it every day. We cannot let this become our new normal, we must continue towards a world where we are not fueled by hate.

As your Member of Congress, I will continue to support legislation that promotes acceptance and blocks discriminatory practices.

In January of 2025, I joined 67 colleagues to cosponsor the Resolution Honoring Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in celebration of his 96th birthday. This resolution would celebrate diversity, promote tolerance, and condemn hate.

This Congress, I voted against the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which would impede the ability of American citizens, including veterans, married women, and those without passports, to exercise their right to vote in federal elections. I will continue to vote against any legislation that attempts to block equitable access to the ballot. You can read my full statement on the SAVE Act here.

Additionally, I am a cosponsor of H.R.14. the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2025, which would restore and modernize the protections of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Like Dr. King, John R. Lewis was a fierce leader for civil rights. 

Today, I joined communities across the Fifth District in honoring Dr. King in Meriden at the 40th Annual Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr./Albert Owens Scholarship Breakfast to recognize exemplary students.

Earlier, I was in Waterbury at the Mount Olive African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church for a MLK Jr. Day worship Service.

I am continuing the day in Cheshire, for the Children’s March and Bell Ringing Ceremony with the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities celebrating the power of our youth and calling for unity, peace, and hope.

As we honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., may we resist the urge to remain silent and stay on the sidelines. His life reminds us that we must substitute courage for caution and work passionately and unrelentingly for the realization of the American dream.

Jahana Hayes

Member of Congress