Black Experience

THE BIRMINGHAM TIMES — Many point to King’s efforts in Birmingham in the spring of 1963, when he helped direct thousands of demonstrators to fill up Birmingham jails, as legacy-defining. His work during that pivotal year helped loosen the grip of segregation not just in the South but nationwide. However, King, whose birthday will be celebrated on January 17, began his work in the Magic City before 1963 and he did return afterwards. Here’s a timeline of King’s most memorable visits to the city.

THE AFRO — Most knowledgeable political historians agree that the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and the Voting Rights Acts, which passed one year later, became law because President Johnson passionately supported them.  In addition to the two landmark civil rights measures, the nation also witnessed the passage of legislation that introduced Medicaid and Medicare during the Johnson administration.

THE ATLANTA VOICE — In a news release, the King Center in Atlanta said the 10 a.m. Monday service will be broadcast live on Atlanta’s Fox TV affiliate and on Facebook, YouTube and thekingcenter.org. The Rev. Natosha Reid Rice and Pastor Sam Collier will preside over the service. This year’s keynote speaker is the Rev. Michael Bruce Curry, presiding bishop and primate of The Episcopal Church.

THE CHICAGO DEFENDER — In this new year, and particularly around MLK Day, you can set a 2022 goal to volunteer as a family. Honeycomb’s schedule of upcoming volunteer opportunities is on their website. Families can, for example, sign up to prepare a home-cooked meal for those staying at a Wicker Park shelter, help protect a nature preserve along the Chicago River, pack and donate boxed meals for a food pantry in Auburn Gresham, or create activity kits for pediatric patients. With more than a dozen projects, there’s something for everyone.

THE CHICAGO DEFENDER — John Lewis was 25 when he marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, and was beaten by state troopers who fractured his skull. The Greensboro sit-ins at the Woolworth’s lunch counter were led by four college students. And the nine students who bravely integrated Little Rock Central High School in 1957 were all between fifteen and seventeen years old. The moment called for action, and Dr. King and countless other young, Black leaders stepped up and answered the call, by fighting against injustice and achieving real progress for the Black community.

NNPA NEWSWIRE — “The fight for the ballot is as old as the Republic. Over the coming weeks, the Senate will once again consider how to perfect this union and confront the historic challenges facing our democracy. We hope our Republican colleagues change course and work with us. But if they do not, the Senate will debate and consider changes to Senate rules on or before January 17, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, to protect the foundation of our democracy: free and fair elections.”

NNPA NEWSWIRE — White House Senior Advisor Cedric Richmond, who served as Louisiana’s representative in the U.S. House for a decade before assuming his current role as the White House Office of Public Engagement Director, said during a Zoom...

NNPA NEWSWIRE — “It’s about putting $6 billion into state and local government to improve safety on the roads,” Vice President Harris pronounced. “It’s about funding for local communities for better streetlights, ensuring crosswalks are safe. We’re talking about...

NNPA NEWSWIRE — “President Biden is working to bring long-overdue diversity to the leadership of the Federal Reserve,” Erica Lowe, the White House Director of African American Media, wrote on Twitter. “Lisa D. Cook would be the first Black woman in history to serve on the Board,” Lowe concluded.

NNPA NEWSWIRE — White House Senior Advisor Cedric Richmond, who served as Louisiana’s representative in the U.S. House for a decade before assuming his current role as the White House Office of Public Engagement Director, said during a Zoom gathering of reporters, that voting rights are the “bedrock of democracy.”