McCollum Statement on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2021

Congresswoman Betty McCollum (DFL-Minn.) released the following statement in commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, observed on Monday, January 18, 2021:

"On this day set aside to remember the legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we must recommit ourselves to the ideals for which he fought and died: civil rights, voting rights, workers' rights, health care, and an end to discrimination. Set against the backdrop of an insurrectionist, white supremacist-fueled domestic terrorist attack on our nation's capitol, the cause and the fight for justice must be an ever-present guide; a clarion call as we usher in a new era in American history.

"Today and every day, I honor the nonviolent movement Dr. King fostered to expand opportunity and build a more compassionate and equal nation. In Congress, I will continue to uphold and champion the rights and dignity of all people.

"As a nation, we still need to go through a reconciliation on some painful parts of our past: slavery, Japanese internment, treatment of Native American communities – and together we have to stand against white supremacy, anti-Semitism, and hatred and bigotry in all its forms. With Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy in mind, we are called to continue this work, and to speak out in peaceful protest at every opportunity. If we speak truth to power together, we will be louder, and we can drown out the calls of those who wish for division, destruction, and power for a select few. We will not give up this fight."