MLK Day: US bishops reiterate call for action against racism

By Lisa Zengarini

As the United States celebrates Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on Monday, the US bishops have called on Catholics and all Americans to uphold the slain civil rights leader’s “indelible legacy” of human fraternity and love.

MLK's "indelible legacy"

The Day, commemorating Rev. King’s birthday on January 15, 1929, is celebrated annually nationwide on the third Monday of January as a reminder of the constant fight for social and racial justice in the US and around the world.

In a statement released for the holiday, the President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the Archdiocese of the Military Services, urged people to heed Rev. King’s call to action against all forms of discrimination based on racial, ethnic, or religious grounds.

“As Rev. King taught us, we must confront the evils of racism and prejudice with the love of Christ,” said the statement, recalling that “Rev. King used the Word of God to effect change of hearts and minds.”

Church's commitment for racial equality

Archbishop Broglio noted that the ongoing issues of migration, antisemitism, and racial and religious discrimination remind US society “that the work of bringing people together in mutual recognition and cooperation is never really done.” Indeed, he said, “there still remain forces that 'would tear asunder what has been accomplished'."

The President of the USCCB, therefore, invited Catholics “to remain vigilant to take advantage of positive signs existing in evangelization efforts and continued civic progress within human relations.”

“These things,” he said, “help shape communities that manifest the affirmative outcomes arising from our varied races, ethnicities, and cultural backgrounds.”

The statement concluded by reaffirming the Catholic Church's unwavering commitment to this endeavour, working with “all others of like mind, faith, and hope.”

Theme of 2024 MLK Day 

MLK Day has been celebrated as a federal holiday in the United States since 1986 and is typically marked with processions, parades, and speeches delivered by civil rights and political figures, as well as people across the country joining community service projects.  

The theme chosen for 2024 is "Living the Dream: It Starts With Me - Spreading Hope, Courage and Unity."