America celebrated the first Martin Luther King, Jr. national holiday 35 years ago. It has since evolved into a day of service in Dr. King’s honor. The day calls on each of us to contribute however we’re able, be it through a community-service project, educating ourselves about racism, or acting to eradicate it.
COVID-19, which has killed some 370,000 Americans – nonwhites disproportionately – limits our options for hands-on projects this year, but the Pima County Democratic Party urges all of its members to find meaningful ways to mark the day. It can be as simple as shopping for a homebound neighbor, donating to a social-justice organization or emailing your opinions to an elected official.
PCDP recognizes that it’s not enough for Democrats to simply combat racism; we must strive to promote racial equity in all party affairs, and anti-racist public policies.
All summer, we watched in anger and grief as Black Lives Matter protesters met state-sanctioned violence in cities across our country. Last week, we watched in horror as an American president encouraged white supremacists to overthrow a legitimate election on his behalf.
But in two days, Joe Biden becomes president and Kamala Harris, a Black woman, becomes vice president. Let us hope that in this moment, the arc of the moral universe bends one small step closer to justice.