Wednesday marks the 50th Anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., a hero of the US Civil Rights movement and a radical voice for social justice.
King is best known for leading the movement to dismantle structural segregation and to demand equal rights for black people in the US. But King also fought the oppression of poor people, regardless of the race, throughout the country and the world. Indeed, King was murdered in Memphis, Tennessee after participating in a strike by sanitation workers demonstrating for higher wages.
Take Action: Sign the Year of Mandela Declaration and Commit to Be the Generation to End Extreme Poverty
King’s assassination initiated the Poor People’s Campaign, a movement he often described in the years before his death, and inspired generations of activists.
Like Dr. King, Global Citizen campaigns on ending worldwide poverty, which disproportionately affects people of color. You can take action here.
Fifty years after King’s death, his legacy lives on in the actions of leading activists, lawmakers, and normal citizens who advocate for equal rights, living wages, and social justice.
These powerful tweets, including a few by his daughter Bernice King, capture that lasting commitment to King’s mission.
Such an honor to have had you as a father and to still have you as a teacher. I greatly admire your courage and strength to love, and I learn from you daily. In the words of Maya Angelou, I “can be and be better because you existed.” Thank you. Miss you. #MLK#MLK50Forwardpic.twitter.com/n9qD2X199z
— Be A King (@BerniceKing) April 4, 2018
The most authentic way to honor my father is to commit to the work of creating a more peaceful, just, humane world. Let quotes coincide with conscious efforts to eradicate poverty, militarism and racism (privilege + power = oppressive policies + culture). #MLK50Forward#MLKpic.twitter.com/exUAp1E68q
— Be A King (@BerniceKing) April 4, 2018
Read More: What to learn from Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy of peaceful protest
Good morning. We start with a song for Dr. King by my elementary school music teacher Ms Ameshttps://t.co/ng52U5DjHt
— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) April 4, 2018
50 years gone by...We remember. We rise. We resist injustice, apathy, inhumanity. And we choose nonviolence: as a posture, as a philosophy, and as a path to systemic change, heart change and the Beloved Community. The dream lives and the revolution is here. #MLK#MLK50Forwardpic.twitter.com/dmsXkhONq5
— The King Center (@TheKingCenter) April 4, 2018
Read More: 7 civil rights activists carrying Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy
The march is silent except for a drum line that is leading hundreds down Independence Avenue in D.C. to mark the date of MLK’s assassination pic.twitter.com/hxx4pN8qNm
— Christal Hayes (@Journo_Christal) April 4, 2018
Conditions for Memphis sanitation workers in 1968 were so bad they went on strike demanding their humanity be recognized: "I AM A MAN." MLK joined them in what would end up as his last campaign. He deeply understood the struggles for racial & economic justice cannot be separated. pic.twitter.com/9lpWUlD5wW
— Rep. Keith Ellison (@keithellison) April 4, 2018
As the sun rises over the MLK memorial on #MLK50, we’re moved by the need to continue to confront racism and poverty in the US. pic.twitter.com/4GWdoepIE2
— Ben & Jerry's (@benandjerrys) April 4, 2018
50 years ago today greatest civil rights leader in history of US was assassinated. We must honor MLK’s struggle for civil rights, nonviolence & economic justice with actions not just words pic.twitter.com/tkvmpG5e33
— Ari Berman (@AriBerman) April 4, 2018
MLK is the man we remember today because he spoke hard truths to power during his time.
— Abdul El-Sayed (@AbdulElSayed) April 4, 2018
While we honor him today, remember that change never comes easy - and it requires people to stand up to systems of oppression and the “moderates” who support them. #MLK50
commemoration without courageous action is empty. #MLK50
— Brittany Packnett (@MsPackyetti) April 4, 2018
He wasn’t a cuddly apolitical figure. He was a righteous man of the left who shook up the status quo and he was killed for doing so #MLK50pic.twitter.com/DPqrBiVbAz
— Oliver Willis (@owillis) April 4, 2018
“Let us develop a kind of dangerous unselfishness.” #MLK50pic.twitter.com/TfUDVSFDML
— Tony Goldwyn (@tonygoldwyn) April 4, 2018
"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."
— National School Walkout (@schoolwalkoutUS) April 4, 2018
"If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward."
Important then, important now. We must continue. #MLK50