The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. has inspired countless millions of people, across generations. Every January when we recognize his birthday, it reminds us to answer the call of his life and legacy. Accordingly, members of our Hair Relaxer Cases legal team share below how they celebrate and honor Dr. King:

Mona Tawatao, Legal Director, Equal Justice Society:
I celebrate Dr. King’s life and legacy through my church as a member of the choir. It moves me deeply when we sing Keep the Dream Alive and the Black National Anthem Lift Every Voice and Sing on the Sunday before MLK Day. Dr. King called the freedom songs the “soul of the movement.” I am grateful to have music for MLK Day and throughout the year as a spiritual connector to the movements for Black freedom and liberation, past and present. It makes me all the more grateful for leaders like Dr. King whose brilliance and sacrifice gave birth to the broader movement for racial and social justice and whose legacy sustains us through today’s arduous struggles.

Letter from Birmingham Jail (April 16, 1963) is the writing I come back to every MLK Day.  Dr. King wrote it while in solitary confinement after being arrested for engaging in anti-segregation protest in defiance of a court injunction prohibiting the protests.  The letter is an impassioned scholarly rebuke to white clergy who criticized the anti-segregation protests and direct actions in favor of following the court order–they urged leaders and activists to “wait” out the process.   Dr. King countered that civil disobedience is not only permitted, but a moral imperative in the face of unjust laws.  This has inspired me to embrace, support, and defend direct action and other means outside of the courtroom as integral to the legal and organizing strategies to fight racist disciplinary policies in schools.  His words “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,” remain potent against the “outside agitator” idea put forth by people in power to try discredit and blame activists who join local groups and leaders to demand the end of racist practices, as we saw in 1963 Birmingham and 2015 Ferguson.  There is much in the Letter that inspires me to be as brave and push as hard as the people, families, and community leaders we work with and represent. Some choice examples: 

“We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.”

“[For Black people,] The “Wait” has almost always meant “Never.”” 

“We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people.”

The ongoing assault on Black voting rights and erosion of fair, truthful, and equitable public education make Dr. King’s challenges to action as relevant and urgent now just as they were in 1963. 

Kelly Dermody, SF Managing Partner, Lieff Cabraser:
One of my most cherished MLK quotes is this one: “Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle.”  It reminds me that achieving racial equity is not a one-time event but a continuous commitment to action every day.  Dr. King understood so clearly that progress is not linear, there will be setbacks, and each new achievement must be defended and protected from backlash. His words are as true today as when he spoke them. But his words also remind us that with relentless persistence and faith in struggle, seismic change can happen.

Tiseme Zegeye, Partner, Lieff Cabraser:
I celebrate Dr. King’s life with my two young children. At ages four and two they are a little young for his writings and speeches, but luckily there are now so many beautifully illustrated and moving children’s books that introduce Dr. King’s work to our youngest members of society and honor his true legacy. As Rebekah Gienapp explains, “Too often, kids learn an incomplete, and even inaccurate version of King from educators and caregivers, which is why it’s so important for them to learn about his teachings fully, and early on.”

The Undefeated, a poem by Kwame Alexander and illustrated by Kadir Nelson, includes the following verse on Dr. King:

This if for the unlimited,
unstoppable ones.
The dreamers
and doers
who swim
across The Big Sea
of our imagination
and show us
the majestic shores
of the promised land

Despite being a children’s book, The Undefeated does not conceal or whitewash our history. It reads, “This is for the unspeakable” with an illustration of smashed photo frames of Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley, Carole Robertson, and Carol Denise McNair, the young girls who were killed in the racist 16^th Street Baptist Church bombings in Birmingham in 1963. Dr. King spoke at the funeral of three of the girls. The Undefeated is not an easy book to read with children but it encourages important conversations on our past and present.

Jlé Tarpeh, Senior Paralegal, Lieff Cabraser:
I’m moved by Dr. King because he guided the truth in his words and deeds. What Is Your Life’s Blueprint? (October 26, 1967): “And when you discover what you will be in your life, set out to do it as if God Almighty called you at this particular moment in history to do it. Don’t just set out to do a good job. Set out to do such a good job that the living, the dead or the unborn couldn’t do it any better.”

Kenede Pratt-McCloud, Case Clerk, Lieff Cabraser:
Black is a Rainbow Color by Angela Joy was a book I knew I wanted my nephew to have in his library when my sister told me she was pregnant. I was excited to share this book with him because I wanted to gift him things that promoted a love of his identity. My sister was one of the first people who taught me about Blackness and Black History. I remember sitting in her kitchen as she taught me the history of the Black Panther Party, Malcom X, and Martin Luther King Jr while we cooked dinner for the night. She believed I had the capacity to understand such intricacies despite being a decade or so younger than her. In order to honor the history of our relationship and pass those teachings forward, I knew this book would be the perfect gift for my nephew. It was important for me to share this message to my nephew so he grows up feeling pride and joy when he thinks of his Blackness.

There is a painting and reference to Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech in Black is a Rainbow Color.  While the book is geared towards children, it is vibrant and rich. The colorful visuals and the lyrical text create a wonderful reading experience that introduces children to important historical moments in African American history such as the Civil Rights and Black Lives Matter movements. I would have loved to read this book when I was a young, Black girl, learning to appreciate my skin, my culture, and my history when growing up around individuals that did not always reflect my lived experience. Not only does it teach children about important historical events, it also teaches them to appreciate the different manifestations of African American culture and to love their Black identity. It inspires me to appreciate each unique facet of my Blackness and I hope it teaches my nephew the same when he is old enough to understand and appreciate the words on the page.  

Linsley Pszyk, Legal Nurse Consultant, Lieff Cabraser:
I feel that I honor Dr. King’s legacy by educating myself on parts of American history that were left out of my upbringing and by advocating for people of color whenever I can. I work to be aware of my own prejudices and to increase awareness in my friends and family on race, ethics, and equality for all people regardless of race or social standing.

I have read and heard the “I Have a Dream” speech often and it gives me goosebumps every time.  The ideas that Dr. King had are timeless and bear repeating often due to their simplicity and depth.  Treat others with respect. See color and look past it. Stand up for injustice, be kind, and work to change the world around you one action at a time to ensure freedom for all. We all have the ability to move mountains … one rock at a time.

Avery Halfon, Partner, Lieff Cabraser:
On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I read or listen to Dr. King’s remarkable speech “The Other America,” delivered at Stanford on April 14, 1967. It is as directly relevant today as it was 60 years ago, which only proves Dr. King was right in that speech to say we cannot “wait,” “slow up and just be nice and patient” assuming racism and inequality “will work itself out.” “Social progress never rolls in on the wheels of inevitability.” In “The Other America,” Dr. King argued that even after the successes of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act made significant strides against formal discrimination, the nation now had to pursue the “much more difficult” task of “genuine equality.” Dr. King decried the economic conditions of Black Americans, explained how they stemmed from Black Americans’ unique history and continued stigma and deprivation, and called for “massive action programs” including “a guaranteed minimum income for all people and families of our country.” In only 45 minutes, “The Other America” provides gems of wisdom on the nature of racism, the limits of white allyship, white backlash to equality, how conditions of economic despair engender riots, how our nation’s future depends on shared political power, how militarism abroad diverts attention and funds from equality at home, and more. The speech is fearless, direct, insightful, and ultimately, hopeful. I hope we will all learn from it.

Fabrice Vincent, Partner, Lieff Cabraser:
As the child of a father who survived imprisonment in a Nazi camp in Germany, I am so appreciative of the example and vital teachings of Martin Luther King, Jr. After escaping a Nazi camp, my father fled to America for the freedom and justice our nation provides, an imperfect vision that still requires so much more work before we begin to approach the equality that all persons deserve. I am inspired in particular by Dr. King’s 1963 speech, “I Have a Dream” and his vision of equality of all people.  As Dr. King said, “Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quick sands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children.”  The same is true today, now is the time to continue to march for brotherhood and equality for all.

Jahi Liburd, Associate, Lieff Cabraser:

On April 14, 1967, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave a speech at Stanford University. One of the themes running through his speech was “genuine equality.” One line that stood out to me was, “It is much easier to integrate a public park, than it is to make genuine, quality, integrated education a reality.” It is amazing how true and applicable that statement still is today. Though there have been many firsts for black people over the past few decades (e.g., the first black President), the schools in our inner cities that educate large numbers of black children are underperforming and are continuing to fall behind. In the spirit of Dr. King, I urge us to push for “genuine equality,” so we can create a world where all persons have a chance at fulfilling their dreams.