Dear Peter,

Each year, the holiday dedicated to the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. reminds us of his remarkable contributions in the fight for civil rights and freedom and his powerful legacy that continues to serve as a beacon of hope. Today, the holiday falls on Inauguration Day, when the nation will witness the swearing-in of Donald Trump as the 47th President of the United States.

As we honor Dr. King’s legacy, there are important lessons we can learn from his work to help us maintain his fight for fairness and justice. 

First, we must stay focused on the work that remains undone. The civil rights movement bolstered a women’s rights movement that sought to challenge stereotypes and barriers used for centuries to exclude women from opportunities. Right now, that fight for women’s progress is still needed to upend practices that confine women to narrow roles, to root out discrimination, to maximize women’s economic participation, and to give women the freedom to make decisions about their own bodies, careers, and futures. 

Therefore, we must consistently call out obstacles facing different communities — whether they are women, people of color, disabled folks, caregivers, those who are economically insecure, LGBTQ+ communities, immigrants, or others — and lift up concrete solutions to remove these obstacles.

Second, we have to be ready to remain in the fight for the long haul. Dr. King famously said that the arc of the moral universe is long but bends toward justice.  We must keep those words in mind and remain focused on our vision of justice and our vision for the future. We must be clear about the progress we are seeking, and we cannot be derailed by individual defeats or by the outcome of any single election.

Third, we have to know and leverage our power.  This past November, despite the former president’s victory, the American public showed strong support for a host of progressive policies. Seven states voted to defend abortion rights, three states voted to guarantee paid sick days for their workers, and two states voted to increase their minimum wage. We must take every opportunity to build on this momentum at the federal, state, and local levels.

Regardless of any discouragement, frustrations, and setbacks we may experience in the coming weeks and months, we can learn from Dr. King’s example and remain unbowed, unflinching, and undeterred in opposing injustice and fighting for equality.

Our commitment must last well beyond January 20th — until the promise of democracy becomes a reality for all. 

With conviction,

— Jocelyn

Jocelyn Frye (she, her, hers)
President 
National Partnership for Women & Families
NationalPartnership.org | @NPWF

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National Partnership for Women & Families
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