CHICAGO – January 19, 2019 – Alianza Americas joins immigrant and human rights organizations across the country in honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on the 90th anniversary of his birth. Oscar Chacón, executive director of Alianza Americas, offers a reflection on today’s significance:

“The social injustices that drove Dr. King’s trailblazing work more than six decades ago are still stalling our collective progress towards the equitable, just nation—and world—that he dreamed about from the time of his birth in Atlanta to the time of his heartbreaking assassination in Memphis.

Today, we recognize that the United States remains rife with civil and human rights challenges, both in cities and rural areas across our country and playing out along our Southern border.  Violence has pushed tens of thousands of Central American families out of their home countries; xenophobia has, in turn, denied them access to due process and protection in the United States.

Dr. King was prescient in understanding that the hate and fear driven by white supremacy that besieged African Americans in the 1960s, if left unchecked, would continue to plague the people of the Americas in 2019. In 1963, he penned a letter from the city jail in Birmingham, cautioning that ‘injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.’

Indeed, the ripple effects of injustice are evident today.  The gang violence, impunity, corporate greed, and yawning inequality that are driving displacement in Central America are also the scourge of life in cities across the United States. A wall will not change the fact that our fates are intertwined. Alianza Americas redoubles our commitment to ensuring that Dr. King’s noble vision for justice and rights can become a reality for communities across the Américas and the world.”

Alianza Americas member organizations are organizing events across the country, designed to celebrate Dr. King’s legacy and raise awareness of the ongoing cross-border struggle for human and civil rights:

• CRECEN Houston is organizing a concert to celebrate Martin Luther King’s legacy and present-day struggles of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders. January 19, 7pm at Trinity Episcopal Church (1015 Holman St, Houston)
• Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice is coordinating a unity march. January 21 at 11:45 am at Martin Luther King Elementary School (2430 Martin L King Jr Blvd, Tuscaloosa, AL), and is co-hosting a March Celebration & Rally on January 21 at 10:00 am. Start location: Bill Clark Center, 2501 W Main St, Prichard, AL 36610. Rally location: A.J. Cooper Complex 216 E Prichard Ave, Prichard, AL 36610
• Centro Presente is hosting a panel discussion about the impact of US policy in Central America. January 24 at 10am at the State House in Boston (24 Beacon St, Boston)

Alianza Americas is a network of 50 immigrant-led organizations representing more than 100,000 families across the United States. It is the only US-based organization rooted in Latino and Caribbean immigrant communities that works transnationally to create an inclusive, equitable, and sustainable way of life. Learn more at alianzaamericas.org.