Today, as we honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., I am reminded that the fight for equality has been a long one, that we are not alone in our efforts to bring about change, and that we have yet to fully realize King’s dream for a better tomorrow.
Almost 56 years ago, in March of 1966, César Chávez, Dolores Huerta and others marched 300 miles from Delano, Calif., to Sacramento to draw national attention to the mistreatment of farmworkers and have demands of Mexican and Filipino farmworkers heard. Later that year, Dr. King sent a telegram to Chávez, noting that their separate struggles were united.
“As brothers in the fight for equality, I extend the hand of fellowship and good will and wish continuing success to you and your members. The fight for equality must be fought on many fronts–in the urban slums, in the sweatshops of the factories and fields. Our separate struggles are really one–a struggle for freedom, for dignity and for humanity,” King wrote. “You and your fellow workers have demonstrated your commitment to righting grievous wrongs forced upon exploited people. We are together with you in spirit and in determination that our dreams for a better tomorrow will be realized.”
Realizing our dreams for tomorrow requires that we step up our efforts in the halls of power across Colorado for better representation and equality for Latinos and Latinas in this state.
This is why Voces Unidas de las Montañas and Voces Unidas Action Fund have increased our presence at — and attention on — the State Capitol in Denver to ensure that the voices of our communities are heard. Click here to learn more about our legislative priorities to-date.
If you are interested in getting involved in legislative actions, I encourage you to follow our progress and engage via Twitter and Facebook.
Si Se Puede!
Alex Sánchez is President and CEO of Voces Unidas de las Montañas and Voces Unidas Action Fund.