Dr. King’s words as true today as they were half a century ago, ring out as powerful message for Publix, Ahold, supermarket industry…
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. would have been 82 years old today had his life not been cut short by an assassin’s bullet in Memphis, TN, in 1968. Dr. King was in Memphis at the time to support striking sanitation workers, a reflection of the turn his work had taken in the later years of his life, as he shifted his organizing focus increasingly toward the fight to end poverty and reduce economic inequality.
An early sermon, from 1956, signalled Dr. King’s deep commitment to economic justice. From “The Least of These: Martin Luther King’s Advocacy for the Poor”:
| “In 1956, King preached a sermon that echoed Basil’s condemnation of greed: ‘God never intended for a group of people to live in superfluous, inordinate wealth while others live in abject, deadening poverty. God intends for all of His children to have the basic necessities of life, and He has left in this universe enough and to spare for that purpose. So I call upon you to bridge the gulf between abject poverty and superfluous wealth.'” read more |
Dr. King’s remarkable life and words provide immeasurable inspiration to those who continue to fight for economic justice today. But more than that, they provide invaluable insight, as well, for today’s human rights activists seeking to understand the forces that stand in the way of a more just society.
In honor of Dr. King’s birthday, we include here two short articles that provide a timely reminder of this great man’s legacy, a legacy that has made all of our lives better, and more humane, in so many ways:
- “‘The Least of These’ — Martin Luther King’s Advocacy for the Poor,” 1/16/11
- “10 Martin Luther King, Jr., Quotations,” 1/16/11
Happy birthday, Dr. King! We will never give up your fight.