PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The Dr. Martin Luther King Day of Service in Philadelphia Monday led people to brave the cold or virtually connect in honoring his legacy, particularly through a series of voter registration drives.
In 1957, Dr. King delivered a speech entitled Give Us The Ballot. On Monday, that sentiment lived on as voting rights activities were held on the Day of Service.
Philadelphia City Councilmember Curtis Jones, who appeared at one event at the ShopRite store in Parkside, called it ironic that 65 years later, there is a fight for voting rights. The passage of the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act in Congress does not look promising.
Related
“They want to do things that limit our ability to make an impact on elections," said Jones.
"They’re not going to stop us. We’re going to double down. We’re going to continue to participate.”
State Senator Vincent Hughes (D-Philadelphia, Montgomery County) spoke of Dr. King's legacy, and that his message was about action.
Related
"The best way to do that, as we deal with attacks on our democracy, is to register people to vote," said Hughes. "Make sure that's a 365-day-a-year proposition."
Hughes said knowledge is power, and voter education is important, especially for those who stay home on Election Day thinking their vote doesn’t count.
“Your vote must matter because there are other folks spending billions of dollars to try to stop you from voting," Hughes explained. "So if someone is spending billions of dollars to stop you from voting, it must be important.”
City Commissioner Omar Sabir affirmed Hughes' point that the best defense to voter suppression is to actually vote.
"In the last election, we had 21% of Philadelphians who voted. That was the highest turnout [for a non-presidential November election] we had since 1997," said Sabir.
Related
"We have to do a better job. We have to get into the schools, and we have to be doing the things we are doing right here and right now.”
Sabir also noted that there has always been a struggle for African-Americans to have their voices heard.
“Now is our time and our time is now," said Sabir.
"Dr. King spoke about the fierce urgency of now, and the best defense to voter suppression is to actually vote, so we have to take advantage of that.”
Some voting rights activity in Philadelphia happened in person. Other messages from the Dr. King holiday came in virtual ways, such as the event that happened through Girard College Monday.
That event involved an overarching theme of community.
"Come together. Break down barriers," said Todd Bernstein, the president of Global Citizen and the director of the Greater Philadelphia Martin Luther King Day of Service.
"Global Citizen and the King Day of Service [are] not just about volunteering."
Related
The series of workshops and speakers focus on combatting racism, but also building community, with discussions addressing voter rights legislation, gun violence, and policing.
Bernstein said his work is an effort to reinvigorate Dr. King's cause.
"It is a way for us to embrace his mission and make it our mission," he said.
As part of their effort, at least 10 sites in Philadelphia will register people to vote.
- Click here for the 10 voter registration sites in the City of Philadelphia in the Globel Citizen effort.
- Click here for the Girard College MLK Day of Service site.
