Team,

When Dr. Martin Luther King stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 1963, he spoke truth to power. He called for an end to racism, poverty, and injustice. His vision of racial equality, freedom, and democracy were ideals embedded into the Constitution, but not practiced by the government.

The past four years make it clear how much work we still have to do. We’ve seen Trump and his GOP allies give tax incentives and special privileges to the rich while Black and Brown communities bore the brunt of the coronavirus crisis. We’ve seen them turn their backs on government programs for lower-income families. We’ve seen white supremacy rise under Trump’s leadership. And much more.

But Dr. King’s legacy lives on. It lives on in the millions of protestors who took to the streets to demand justice for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and so many others. It lives on in Stacey Abrams and the countless other Black women who delivered Joe Biden his victory in Georgia, and whose work flipped the Senate and elected Georgia’s first ever Black Senator.

Dr. King’s message rings more true today than ever before. It’s up to us to finish his work.

This is why Dr. King’s legacy is now more crucial than ever. The way we honor him — today and every day — is by lifting up his words by turning them into action. The fight for racial equality and economic justice is a long one. But together, we can bring about real change.

Happy Martin Luther King Day,

Blue America Project