MLK: Write for Rights | CANCELED

There is a quiet power in writing letters. Pacific University invites you to bring this power to bear on global injustice as we celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. this week.

Please stop by the University Center from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 16, for treats and letter writing in support of Amnesty International's Write for Rights (a global letter-writing marathon which in 2024 is focused on 11 people around to world who's rights have been violated by their governments, the police, or major corporations). 

Please join us in honoring Dr. King's memory and practice using your own voice to bring about positive change in the world. All resources will be provided for you to write a powerful letter with purpose, as MLK did when he wrote the now famous "Letter from Birmingham Jail."

MLK’s Powerful Letter

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote "Letter from Birmingham Jail" on April 16, 1963. In this letter he says that people have a moral responsibility to break unjust laws and to take direct action rather than waiting (potentially forever) for justice to come through the courts. He included the now famous quote "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." The letter became an important text for the civil rights movement and has been called one of the most important historical documents penned by a modern political prisoner. 

Read it online or listen to MLK read it aloud.

About the Event

Pacific's Tom McCall Center for Civic Engagement and the Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessability welcome anyone on campus on Tuesday, Jan. 16 to join us in the UC. We will provide a range of treats (including vegan friendly) and all the supplies and support you need to participate in the Amnesty International Write for Rights campaign.

What if I can’t make the on-campus event?

Amnesty International believes the world needs more people to turn their outrage into action, to invite their friends and family to participate, to get involved, and demand equality and justice from their governments. The Write for Rights website has everything you need to write letters from the comfort of your own home.

Learn more about their recent successes and use the letter writing toolkit to amplify their work, wherever MLK Day finds you.