WASHINGTON – Senator Doug Jones (D-Ala.) today led a bipartisan commemorative reading of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Letter from Birmingham Jail in the United States Senate chamber.
After a special introduction from Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Senator Jones was joined in the reading by Senators Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Tammy Duckworth (D- Ill.), John Kennedy (R-La.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), and Mitt Romney (R-Utah).
“I believe the wisdom of this letter is perhaps the best frame to view how we move forward during this moment, the movement of this time, the movement of this generation,” Senator Jones said in his closing remarks. “In passage after passage, Dr. King warns us how easily people can fall back to accepting the status quo – how easily people can hear the word ‘wait’ when, in fact, that word means ‘never.’ From a jail cell in Birmingham, Alabama in 1963, Dr. King told us that action in that moment was critical so that issues of racism and inequality would no longer be ignored. And here we are, 57 years later and his words are still just as timely, that action in this moment – our moment – is likewise critical so that issues of systemic racism and inequality can finally be erased.”
This is the second year in a row Senator Jones has organized a reading of the Letter from Birmingham Jail on the Senate floor.
Individual clips of participating members, in event order, are also available here:
Introduction: Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C).
Senator James Lankford (R-Okla.)
Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio)
Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.)
Closing Remarks: Senator Doug Jones (D-Ala.)
Media Release/Office of Alabama Senator Doug Jones
