Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Dr. King's' "I have a dream" speech and Labor Day

50 years ago today, 250,000 Americans marched for jobs and freedom. When Dr King gave "the speech," the unemployment rate was 5% for whites and 10.9% for blacks, Today, it is officially 6.6% for whites and 12.6% for blacks. Middle class union jobs are vanishing. The fastest growing jobs pay poverty wages.

In the tradition of Dr. King and those who marched fifty years ago, fast food workers will conduct a national strike for higher wages and a union tomorrow, Thursday, August 29. And immigrant workers and youth, dreamers, are engaged in a righteous struggle for immigration reform with a path to citizenship. And Wisconsin's public sector workers are fighting to restore their basic rights at work.

We have unfinished business in this country. Dr. King understood that "without struggle there is no progress."

That is no less true today than it was fifty years ago.

One way to honor the legacy of the march on Washington is to support the low wage, public sector and immigrant workers today by attending the Milwaukee march and picnic on Labor day, Monday, September 2nd. There are two marches. One leaves from South 5th Street and Washington, the Voces de la Frontera offices, and will march across the viaduct to Zeidler Park, 6th and Michigan. The other leaves from Martin Luther king Drive and Vine and also ends at the picnic at Zeidler Park. The struggle continues. Both begin at 11 am.




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