CLEVELAND, January 19 — The following is a statement from BLET National President Don M. Hahs on the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.
Dr. King was born 75 years ago, on a January day in Atlanta, Ga. His father was a minister and his grandfather, a sharecropper. No one could have imagined on that day the impact that this child would have upon our world.
This baby would grow up to be one of the great figures in American history. His speeches would call millions to action, and his life, which ended too soon, would inspire work that is still on-going even today.
When he was shot to death while standing on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tenn., Dr. King was helping to lead sanitation workers in a protest against low wages and intolerable working conditions — things that we, in the labor movement — are still fighting for today.
His dream has yet to be achieved. Equal treatment for all, a safe working environment and fair wages are still myths for many in this country, and we need to keep working for change.
Just days before his untimely death in 1968, he spoke words that still ring true today. He said:
“Let us rise up tonight with a greater readiness. Let us stand with a greater determination. And let us move on in these powerful days, these days of challenge to make America what it ought to be. We have an opportunity to make America a better nation.” (From the sermon “I?ve Been To the Mountaintop,” April 3, 1968)
We are still faced with this challenge today. Each day, we fight to make our nation what it should be. Big changes do not come quickly. They take years of hard work and dedication.
We must continue to fight for safe workplaces, fair wages and equal rights for all people, not just for union workers. All people deserve to be treated fairly at work. All people deserve to come home safely from work each night. All people deserve a voice in this country. Until all of our objectives are achieved, Dr. King?s work will continue.
Dr. King served as an inspiration to many. He was a leader in every sense of the word, and we honor him today for his leadership and his vision. We should honor him every day by working for justice and we should not stop until all men and women are treated as their creator intended — equal.