In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. organizers around the country coordinated a series of events to reclaim his legacy as an anti-racist, anti-imperialist, anti-colonialist freedom fighter. In response to these demonstrations, Dominic T. Moulden, Organizer at ONE DC, issued the following statement:
“In a time where Dr. King’s radical politics are consistently misrepresented as capitulation to the status quo it is inspiring to watch a new generation of organizers remember and practice Dr. King’s unwavering commitment to protest. Dr. King taught active participation in civil disobedience was absolutely necessary in order to push the country towards racial and economic justice. He was deeply concerned for the poor and never missed an opportunity to challenge a system that denied people the ability to live with true dignity and respect. Dr. King understood true freedom for people of color included economic security.
Dr. King’s message of racial and economic justice is still very much needed today. Over the last decade, the divide between the “haves” and “have nots” have become glaringly apparent in the District. We know the current crisis in the city has not been by happenstance and is directly connected to neoliberal policies. City officials continue to auction off public resources including public land, housing and shelters in exchange for very little. Councilmembers consistently choose to disinvest from social welfare programs while calling for more funding for the police, which has resulted in more surveillance and harassment of low-income communities of color specifically in the form of “jump-out” squads. In essence, the issues of over policing, poverty and displacement do not happen in a vacuum and inform each other. It is time for an intervention.
In response to the crisis, several community members, leaders and organizers have come together to create the People’s Platform. The People’s Platform is a comprehensive policy agenda that addresses structural inequities primarily affecting long-time, low-income residents of color.
The members and leadership of ONE DC are committed to continuing the tradition of disruptive protest to change the status quo. We are dedicated to seeing change and will not stop until the District becomes a truly equitable city.”
Press Contacts: Marybeth Onyeukwu, ONE DC Organizer
[email protected]
(202) 232-2915