Dr. Martin Luther King Day 2022 was held as Congress failed to secure voting rights through the John R. Lewis and Freedom to Vote Acts. Yet, St. Louisans hailed the slain civil rights leader during the celebration of the 93rd anniversary of his birthday and vowed to continue working to create an America King hoped to see.
“Our fight to protect voting rights, often from some of the same politicians who dare quote Dr. King on this day, does not end when we leave today. We organize against those moderates in power who refuse to pass voting rights legislation, [with] the state of our democracy on the line,” – Mayor Jones
The annual event at the Old Courthouse downtown drew dozens on a frigid afternoon, and Merdean Gales of the Dr. Martin Luther King Holiday Committee said she and her organization will never lose their fire to make King’s dream a reality. “Here we are, as Dr. King said so many times, still fighting ‘the three evils.’ “Poverty, racism and violence.” We are here to deter it in whatever way we can, the best way that we can,” she said. “We believe that not only voter education, but voter registration, and then voter participation [are needed.] We’ve got to exchange things with each other. We’ve got to talk about things. And after that we must set a plan of action.”
Over 100 vehicles also took part in a ‘votercade’ parade through the streets of St. Louis near the Courthouse after the program. St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones said King’s non-violent crusade to protect voting rights and secure economic fairness for all Americans, which cost him his life, continues today. “Our fight to protect voting rights, often from some of the same politicians who dare quote Dr. King on this day, does not end when we leave today. We organize against those moderates in power who refuse to pass voting rights legislation, [with] the state of our democracy on the line,” Jones said.
“Our efforts to eradicate poverty after decades of intentional disinvestment from Black neighborhoods is an ongoing one. Poverty is the father of violence and crime, and we cannot address one without addressing the other.
“Dr. King was mocked and derided [in his time]. His advocacy of antiwar views held a mirror up to our country and confronted and forced so many to face injustice and racism. That’s uncomfortable for a lot of us. Those conversations are tough and that’s the only way we’re going to move forward.”
Jones, the city’s first Black woman mayor, also recognized “those who fought for unity in our community, those who bring neighborhoods together in his legacy to fight back against the scourges of poverty, racism and violence that hold our region back.”
Hundreds of vehicles also lined N. Kingshighway to receive food, toiletries, and PPE items courtesy of the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis.
“The Urban League was proud to partner with the Bar Association and MLK State Commission once again to pro- vide almost $200,000 in food, toiletries, PPE materials and other resources to the community on Dr. King Day. Helping our neighbors in need is always a good thing but especially on this day when we celebrate the life and legacy of one of the world’s greatest leaders who spent his life fighting for the poor and disenfranchised,” said Michael McMillan, president and CEO of the Urban League…
“I think that Dr. King would continue to push for equality and equity in everything he did. Look at where he was in Memphis, where he died fighting for people to have a living wage. Fighting for people to have justice. Fighting for them to have human dignity. To eradicate racism.”
It is rare that attendees at an MLK Day celebration would be greeted by protestors, but it happened at the Missouri Martin Luther King State Commission event on Saturday at the Magnolia Hotel in St. Louis.
The commission awarded U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt the Henry Givens Legacy Award, which drew the ire of several organizations fighting desperately to protect voting rights.
Rev. Darryl Gray, Greater Missionary Baptist Church senior pastor, said, “It is simply treasonous to give this award to someone who is actively fighting against the voting right of people of color, an issue that Dr. King fought, bled and died for.”
“I express our grave concern and disappointment at this award to Sen. Blunt, especially under the auspices of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s name.”
Nimrod Chapel, Jr., president of the Missouri State Conference of the NAACP said in a statement, “In a time where we rely on senior statesman
for leadership and guidance on the most fundamental of American values, Senator Blunt has been silent and has refused to support national voting protections in the face of Jim Crow Missouri legislators in their efforts to restrict voting. No one can stand silent as the right to vote is stripped from millions of Americans. Dr. King’s legacy cannot be tarnished in this way.”
“The Missouri MLK Commission’s recognition of Sen. Blunt is an affront to the life work of Martin Luther King Jr., an affront to the work of Dr. Givens, and an affront to the King Family, who have unabashedly called for passage of critical voting legislation to combat the assaults on the rights of voters of color,”
said Denise Lieberman, director and general counsel of the Missouri Voter Protection Coalition.
The commission said in a statement last week that the late Givens, longtime president of Harris-Stowe State University and civic icon, nominated Blunt for the award before his death.
The weekend of celebration began early Saturday with a peace march in Fountain Park. The park is home to the only statue in Missouri commemorating the life and work of Dr. King.