The AFL-CIO will hold its annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Civil and Human Rights Conference at the Renaissance Montgomery Hotel & Spa at the Convention Center in Montgomery, Alabama this Jan. 12–14.
“The conference not only will spotlight the issues concerning our civil and human rights, but also act as a platform for leaders to engage in a meaningful dialogue, exchange insights, and generate innovative ideas,” says a release for the conference.
With this year’s conference themed as “Our Voice, Our Ballot, Our Future,” organizers are expecting that the event will bring union members together with activists and faith leaders to talk about how Dr. King used the power of moral suasion and combined it with civic might—the power of the vote. “Each day of the conference will explore different aspects of the theme, with deep dives into community engagement, civic engagement and political strategy, and the evolving landscape of workplaces and democracy.”Both AFL-CIO
President Elizabeth Shuler and AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Fred Redmond will speak at the opening of the conference and Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su will be on hand to talk to attendees.
In one of the conference workshops, King’s famous “Letter from Birmingham Jail” will be shown for its ability to help activists organize. The workshop “A Letter from Birmingham Jail: Organizing Tools for Creative Tension” will show participants how nonviolent direct actions can help move a crisis situation forward, when it has come to a stalemate.
“In the words of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. from his ‘Letter from Birmingham City Jail,’ ‘Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and establish such creative tension that a community that has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront an issue,’” Charles E. Clark, Sr., AFL-CIO’s Southern Region Director told the AmNews.
“‘Creative tension’ is simply a series of publicly facing nonviolent direct actions that make a given situation untenable, compelling all parties to engage in good-faith negotiations. This applies not only to civil rights movements but also to justice-aligned endeavors, such as the labor movement.”
Clark said King’s “Letter from Birmingham City Jail” is an important framework because “The ‘four basic steps to a nonviolent campaign’ outlined by Rev. Dr. King remain relevant today, guiding various organizations, including the AFL-CIO. This framework emphasizes that organizing, regardless of the perspective, should ensure just outcomes through just means. ‘Whatever affects one directly affects all directly,’ underscoring the continued relevance of the letter’s teachings in addressing contemporary issues of injustice.”