Every year, on the third Monday in January, we celebrate a true progressive hero and revolutionary – the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Originally established in 1983 as a federal holiday marking the birthday of Dr. King, the meaning behind this special day continues to grow and is now also observed as a national day of service. Dr. King’s leadership in confronting injustice and using nonviolent protests throughout the mid-1950s and 1960s is still as inspiring and powerful today as it was throughout one of the darkest times in American history.

From his instrumental role in the Montgomery Bus Boycott, to organizing the March on Washington and forging ahead arm in arm across the Edmund Pettus Bridge from Selma to Montgomery, until his assassination in 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. believed in the “fierce urgency of now” on the journey to enact change.1 He was arrested 30 times in his fight against grave inequality, oppression and prejudice, but through it all, his messages of inclusion, empowerment, love and peace persevered. On Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, this January 15, we come together to reflect on the progress we’ve made, as well as recommit ourselves to his quest to let justice roll down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.

Dr. King’s life and actions give us an enduring reminder that we must continue to stand up for what is right no matter how arduous the task may seem. In the words of Dr. King, “We cannot walk alone. And as we walk we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back.”2 That’s why I’m fighting to ensure each and every New Yorker is treated fairly and has an opportunity to succeed. Whether it’s investing in our public school system so that more students have a chance to live up to their potential or standing up for families struggling to make ends meet, I’m working every day to fulfill Dr. King’s vision of making our world a better place.

In the Assembly, we led the way to raise the minimum wage and establish a paid family leave program to help put economic security within reach for more New Yorkers. I also supported “Raise the Age” of criminal responsibility to give young people who made mistakes but are trying to do better a chance to get their lives back on track. Additionally, I supported President Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper initiative to address systemic opportunity disparities faced by young men of color.

We’ve come a long way in the years since Dr. King’s landmark “I Have a Dream” speech, but inequality and injustice still exist. In far too many communities, an unfair criminal justice system, underfunded schools and a vicious cycle of poverty have robbed generation after generation of the freedom and opportunity Dr. King fought so hard for. However, now is always the time for progress and change, and you can count on me to keep his legacy alive and work day in and day out to improve New Yorkers’ lives. As always, my door is open. Please don’t hesitate to reach out and contact my office at taylora@nyassembly.gov or at (212) 234-1430.

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