Black Workers For Justice Statement: Dr. King Would Demand Justice

Published Jan 20, 2011 8:48 PM

The following statement was issued by Black Workers For Justice, P.O. Box 1863, Rocky Mount, N.C. 27802.

Dr. King marched, got beaten, went to jail and was assassinated fighting for justice, worker rights and human rights.

The fight against racial oppression and injustice was more than a struggle to change the color of the president and political leadership throughout the U.S. It was a struggle to change the racist, sexist, economic and military policies, conditions and power relationships that maintain the oppression of Blacks, people of color, women and poor people in the U.S. and the unjust wars and occupations throughout the world.

Dr. King said that “people should be judged, not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”

Dr. King would not be silent against the continuation of these injustices under the Obama administration. He would not be content by saying that Obama is not as bad as Bush. He would probably be more disappointed and upset, because of the many sacrifices that have been made to elect an Obama and the many Black elected and appointed officials throughout the country.

Dr. King would call for people to take actions against massive unemployment; housing foreclosures and evictions; budget cuts of vital public services, social programs and attacks on worker rights; murderous police actions against Black youth; millions without health insurance; environmental racism; attacks on public education; and the billions given to the banks and corporations to bail them out of the crisis they created.

Dr. King would strongly oppose and expose the racist and divisive message of [Tea Party,] who are financed by big corporations, who blame the crisis on Black people and Latina/o immigrant workers, and who oppose any government spending to address the needs of working class and poor people.

The honoring of Dr. King must be shown by the rebuilding and mobilization of the mass movements for social and economic justice challenging the forces of oppression, corporate greed and war. There can be no real honoring of Dr. King if there are no mass struggles against oppression and injustice.

The call for compromises between the Democratic and Republican parties, both of which have favored the corporations and rich over the working class and poor, is not a solution to the problems faced by millions today. The masses of people must be organized independently of both corporate-dominated parties into peoples assemblies, community transformation councils and labor unions that put forth real programs for a people’s recovery and progressive changes that empowers the people over institutions and resources.

Defend public sector unions

The attack on public sector workers and unions, blaming them for the state and local government budget crises, is the new corporate line to place the burden on the backs of the working class. It is an attempt to separate the needs of the public sector workers from the services they provide to the people.

The attack on the more than 630,000 North Carolina public sector workers is a major part of the attack on health care, education, public services, social programs and public safety that affect the lives of millions of mainly working-class and poor people across the state.

The NC Public Service Workers Union, UE150 has been in the forefront of the struggles challenging the attacks on public sector workers in state and local government and repealing the Jim Crow law that bans collective bargaining rights for public sector workers in North Carolina.

These struggles need the support of Blacks, working class and poor people across the state, nationally and internationally. They should be seen as a clarion call for a movement to build and expand working-class power to stop the destruction and human rights violations that capitalist greed is inflicting on the lives and communities of peoples throughout the U.S. and globally.

Dr. King’s last major fight against injustice was his support of the public sector workers in Memphis, Tenn. Despite the fears by many of Dr. King’s participation with the Memphis workers, and not unlike the fears of many today because of the economic crisis, Dr. King said the struggle must be waged!

Honor Dr. King by Rebuilding the People’s Movements for Social and Economic Justice!
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