NEWS RELEASE: MLK Day statement: Let’s honor King’s legacy by building a foundation of true equality

[Burr, Charlie]

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For Immediate Release
January 20, 2014
CONTACT: Charlie Burr, (971) 673-0788

Avakian: Let’s honor King’s legacy by building a foundation of true equality

Portland, OR—Labor and Industries Commissioner Brad Avakian today issued the following statement honoring the celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr.:

“Today, we celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., one of the towering figures of American history. It’s a time to honor not just his fight against the most insidious forms of discrimination, but his struggle against inequality and economic injustice.
In April 1968, Dr. King arrived in Memphis during an intense and bitter sanitation strike over wages and the right to organize. As part of the “Poor People’s Campaign”, Dr. King gave voice to the urgency of honoring the dignity of all labor.
Dr. King’s call to break the cycle of poverty and build a foundation of true equality is just as potent nearly 50 years later. Today, more Oregonians live in poverty than live in the city of Portland. And the gap between the wealthiest 1 percent and the rest of us is still too wide.
On this Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, let’s rededicate ourselves to rebuilding our middle class and providing economic opportunity to all citizens. Let’s work to ensure that we’re providing students and workers with the skills they need to compete. And let’s work to lift up communities in every corner of the state for a more equitable and prosperous future.”
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Charlie Burr
Communications Director
Bureau of Labor and Industries
800 NE Oregon St., Ste. 1045
Portland, OR 97232-2180
(971) 673-0788 wk.
(503) 913-5407 cell.

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