Dr. King

April 4, 2008 will mark the 40th Anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s death. Today it is appropriate to look back and think of how things have changed in the years since he began his important work.


In 1968 some of us weren't born yet, others were very young and still others remember the events that came before and after the civil rights movement. As a young child in Wyoming I grew up knowing little of Dr. King's legacy. At that time most social studies classes didn't cover recent events and at age four I certainly couldn't understand the gravity of what happened to Dr. King or to Robert F. Kennedy. But I understand now.

As unionists all of us should appreciate Dr. King's work for equality. He not only fought for the rights of African Americans across the nation but for labor rights for everyone. He understood that a weekly paycheck should last for a week and buy a week's worth of groceries and rent. At a time when lynchings were common place Dr. King bravely took up the battle cry of civil rights, voting rights and basic human rights knowing all too well that he put himself in harm's way. He believed in peaceful protest, a standard that we as an Association have used in pickets lines across the nation and across the state.

On Martin Luther King Day 2003 OEA used Dr. King's peaceful protest model for a rally in Salem. We had approximately 6,000 people from across the state on the steps of the Oregon Capitol building speaking out, singing songs and carrying signs encouraging our legislature to step up and fully fund education in Oregon. The event was covered by news crews from across the state and even nationally. I am proud to say that I was there, shouting as loudly as anyone after traveling 350 miles one way to reach Salem. The 2003 Rally was a success because our members banded together and brought colleagues, students, spouses and friends to join the cause. It was a great tribute to Dr. King in the spirit of peaceful protest.

Thank you, Dr. King, for showing us that one person can make a difference and that many working together can change the face of a nation.