Honoring Dr. King Through Honoring Care and Collective Work

Written by: Jaida Jenkins

In January, I had the opportunity to travel to Montgomery, Ala., to attend the annual AFL-CIO MLK Conference. To be back in the space where the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was arrested for the first time for fighting for our civil rights is always a chilling yet empowering feeling. The rich history of Montgomery is impossible to miss when entering the area. 

The conference had a powerful start, opening with a local high school marching band and powerful speeches from national labor leaders. AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler gave a motivating speech emphasizing how you can’t have social justice without economic justice and there is still work to do and improvements to be made. She also brought attention to the power in the room, letting each of us know that we play a part and have a role in the same fight. During Secretary-Treasurer Fred Redmond’s opening remarks, he emphasized how care and caregiving are extremely important to the labor movement.  This mindset was reflected throughout the conference by implementing physical movement breaks between sessions to get the audience up, moving, and engaging with one another; one of which I was honored to lead.

When it was time for our first physical movement break, I assured the audience that the fight for care continues and it doesn’t end with just us, it includes both our chosen and birth families.  After a few morning sessions, I led the audience to their feet to join me in doing the Mississippi Cha-Cha slide (to keep the Southern style). I then led everyone in the Electric Side. We all gathered, laughed, and danced with President Shuler, Secretary-Treasurer Redmond, and our neighboring peers, to get our bodies moving and blood flowing. The audience had a joyful time and was then ready to refocus on sessions when our movement break was over. 

Throughout the rest of the conference, attendees made intentional time to get up and move to care for themselves; so we could all show up fully present, ready to learn, and organize for the rest of the week.  There were community service opportunities and a trip to the Legacy Museum where we learned the unfiltered history of not just Alabama, but black history entirely. This year’s breakout sessions were also great to attend. With such a wide selection of sessions to attend, I had to choose wisely. I ended up attending the Lobbying 101 and Voting Rights for Democracy sessions, where I had the pleasure of meeting with some panelists.  I connected with Nicole Robinson from Fair Fight Action, who is the political director and was part of the Voting Rights for Democracy session. I also connected with union leaders who work on federal policy and legislative organizing from American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE).  

Overall this year’s MLK experience was full of learning, skill-building, networking, and organizing. I look forward to next year’s experience and learning opportunities.