OKLAHOMA CELEBRATES CIVIL RIGHTS STATEWIDE

Labor leaders and community groups commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; Say “More work to be done.”

OKLA.—Across the state, people are commemorating the birth of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his role in the struggle for civil rights.

In Tulsa, union leaders are paying homage to King’s support for AFSCME workers by forming a standing Civil Rights Committee. Community groups are also organizing a series of events, beginning with a showing of the film At the River I Stand, which documents the historic events of 1968, when Dr. King was gunned down for uniting minority and white workers for common goals.

In Muskogee, union members and the local chapter of the NAACP are working together to highlight the importance of unity between working people of various ethnicities. AFSCME Local 2465 is working to build partnerships with municipal leaders to protect workers’ rights and usher in a new period of transparency and efficiency for the city with the support of the community and labor organizations.

Other events are being hosted around the state to call attention to the legacy of King and the civil rights movement indicating real change in attitudes toward race, class and democracy. And while most are optimistic, it is clear to many that there is still work to be done in the struggle for equality. As Native leader and Communist Party member notes, “Racial equality won’t exist unless we also ad-dress issues of class.” He went on to say, “Of course, when you unite people from different races, like Dr. King did, you will make enemies.”