Voting Rights Dominate King Holiday And Renew Calls for Justice

The Martin Luther King Jr. holiday around the country was celebrated despite a surge in COVID-19 cases with millions joining virtual events and others devoting a day off to service in their communities. It was the second year the slain civil rights leader’s birthday was marked during the pandemic.

King’s legacy includes his courageous work to expand voting rights for African Americans who had been subjected to voter suppression for generations. Oddly, the federal holiday observed in his honor since 1986 occurred this year just one day before Congress holds a debate about new voting protections although two Democrats crucial for passage appear to have defected.

In service after service on the King holiday, speakers called for renewed efforts to counter a recent movement in state legislatures to make it harder for Black voters following a significant turnout that impacted the 2020 election resulting in President Joe Biden’s victory over Donald Trump.

Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie invoked King’s dedication to equity during a ceremony hosted by the Greater Kansas City SCLC.
“King dared to say what was needed to be said,” she stated. “Dr. King was not murdered for his oratory skills … he was killed because he wanted America to change. He was killed because he wanted Americans to change.”

One of the nation’s most prominent preachers, McKenzie called out the racism critics say underscores Republican-led challenges to progress at the ballot box. Her fiery speech struck many of the same themes discussed by political analysts on TV shows, volunteers at service events, and Black Americans in churches and homes from coast to coast. Her address also referenced the history of murders endured by Black America simply because “they could.”

“The names have changed … but, the stories remain the same,” she emphasized. “Instead of King and Evers, it’s Trayvon, George Floyd … Sandra Bland.”

McKenzie told the audience gathered in the sanctuary at Metropolitan Baptist Church and virtually “Justice has never been a one and done. Now, right now, we must put feet to the messages.”

“Today we are going to have to find the courage of our convictions. We have to answer the call to serve, and we have to stand together because when we stand together, it makes people uneasy … They will succeed if we allow them to divide and conquer us.”