Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Observance Kicks Off Tonight
The historic bond between the labor and civil rights movements will be celebrated this weekend as the AFL-CIO honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s vision that collective action—whether at the voting booth or at the workplace—mobilizes participants to continue their work to make King’s dream a reality. AFL-CIO Vice President Arlene Holt Baker will kick off the conference and participate in this year’s community service activities.
This year’s conference, “ We Are One: Workers’ Rights and Civil Rights ,” will take place as the country commemorates the 50th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington that rallied hundreds of thousands of people to call for jobs and freedom, and ushers in the second term of President Barack Obama.
This year’s workshops and speakers will focus on the work that the union movement has done in conjunction with community groups around protecting the vote and expanding democracy in the workplace. Conference participants will commemorate Dr. King’s spirit of community service and dedicate a day to community service projects around Philadelphia.
The AFL-CIO will be live-tweeting from the event with updates and pictures. Follow the AFL-CIO on Twitter .
If you're in Philadelphia and want to join the inauguration watch party on Monday, click here for ticket info .
On Saturday, Jan. 19, a rally at the Independence Visitor Center in Philadelphia from 10 a.m. to noon will bring attention to the recent attacks on workers' rights from Ohio to Wisconsin, Indiana to Michigan. Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO President Patrick J. Eiding will speak along with Holt Baker, AFT President Randi Weingarten, AFSCME President Lee Saunders and the Rev. Al Sharpton.
Visit www.aflcio.org/MLK2013 for more info.
