New York – New York Attorney General Letitia James released the following statement in honor of MLK Day:
“At this time of year when we celebrate what would have been Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s 93rd birthday, and at this moment in our history as a nation, I am thinking about the words Dr. King spoke on his last full day of life. On that evening in Memphis, Dr. King told us that we would someday get to the ‘promised land.’ After the year we just had, the promised land can seem further and further away. We are still struggling with the pandemic. We are still fighting for social justice. We are still watching efforts to deny sacred rights, like the right to vote, from too many Americans.
“None of us is brave enough, smart enough, or prophetic enough to be Dr. King, but at our best we are continuing his work. That means exercising our most basic democratic right to vote whenever we have the opportunity. That means doing all we can to protect that same right for all Americans. Now is the time to do away with any obstacle that infringes upon the people’s right to vote and have their vote counted. In honor of Dr. King, that means passing the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which are essential to ensuring that our elections are fair, our ballot boxes are accessible, and the voices of all Americans are heard. In order to truly safeguard our democracy, we must safeguard the right to vote.
“America has marched a long road, and we still have a long road ahead, but when we join together in the spirit of Dr. King, someday we will get to the promised land.”
