Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1530930
Rowland Scherman, Wikimedia Commons The Struggle for Equity Celebrating Dr. King and Others' Fight for Civil and Worker Rights By Julian Peeples A S W E C E L E B R A T E Dr. King's birthday on Jan. 20, it's import- ant to acknowledge the historic struggles for civil rights and worker rights that are still relevant today. Dr. King knew that the fight for racial justice and economic justice were intertwined, with Black Americans and other marginalized groups trapped in cycles of poverty due to low wages and poor working conditions. He believed that fair labor practices and the right to unionize and earn a living wage were essential to achieving true equality. " The plight of the Negro poor, particularly in the context of urbanization and automation, cannot be solved unless the whole of American society takes a new turn toward greater eco- nomic justice," Dr. King said. " What does it profit a man to be able to eat at an integrated lunch counter if he doesn't earn enough money to buy a hamburger?" —Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, 1963 14 cta.org Spotlight B L A C K H I S T O R Y M O N T H