Observe King Holiday with Write for Rights
There is a quiet power in writing letters, and this Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Pacific University invites you to bring this power to bear on global injustice. Please join your fellow students in the Washburne University Center Fireside Lounge from 12:30 to 2 p.m. Monday, Jan. 16, for treats and letter writing in support of Amnesty International's Write for Rights, a global letter-writing marathon focused on the right to protest, featuring 13 people in 10 countries who currently detained or otherwise imperiled by government actions.
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 take action on behalf of people who are currently unjustly detained, as MLK was 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 The letter became an important text for the civil rights movement and has been called one of the most important historical documents penned by a modern political prisoner.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 McCall Center for Civic Engagement and the Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion welcome anyone on campus on MLK Day 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.