Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, Washington, DC
Every year on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, we hear platitudes from politicians honoring the fallen civil rights leader. At least Democrats mean their praise of Dr. King sincerely; Republicans clearly do not. Indeed, according to one recent poll, a majority of Republicans do not even think MLK Day should be a national holiday. But yesterday, many Democrats took an effective extra step: they linked Martin Luther King, Jr. Day with voting rights. Specifically, Democrats, including Dr. King’s own children, cited MLK Day to call for passage of the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act that has been passed by the U.S. House and is currently pending before the U.S. Senate.
Such linkage between MLK Day and voting rights, for example was all over Twitter:
It's seems fitting that #MartinLutherKingDay coincides with a national debate around voting rights. If we want to truly honor his legacy — we should ensure every vote counts and every voice is heard.
— Chris Jones (@JonesForAR) January 17, 2022
This #MartinLutherKingDay no celebration, without legislation.
Our right to vote is under attack and it is in SERIOUS danger. But you can do something about it! Something that will have a huge impact. ⁰⁰Call your Senator! (202)-224-3121 and tell them to #PassVotingRightsNow pic.twitter.com/LV5cHU5ksg
— Piper Perabo (@PiperPerabo) January 17, 2022
I’m proud to stand on stage with leaders from our Congress that have continuously stood for the protection of #votingrights. The House has done their job and are still out fighting for our rights. Now it’s time for the Senate to do the same. #MLKDay #DeliverForVotingRights pic.twitter.com/vRjIT6zbjA
— Martin Luther King III (@OfficialMLK3) January 17, 2022
Likewise, various organizations such as Bold ReThink, When We All Vote and Generation Progress sent out emails specifically calling on citizens to “honor MLK’s legacy” by contacting their U.S. Senators to pass the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.
In linking MLK Day directly with a call for passage of pending voting rights legislation, Democrats followed a couple of our Messaging Maxims, including #1: Go on Offense and #2: Rinse and Repeat. As these Democratic calls made clear, Dr. King regarded voting rights as one of the fundamental and necessary civil rights from which many other rights flow. King knew that, without being able to vote freely and fairly, minorities can never achieve true equality or full justice in America.
Photo by Kimberly Vardeman, used under Creative Commons license. https://is.gd/wWIaqQ
