Task Force commemorates life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Today is the federal holiday honoring the life and legacy of civil rights leader the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Executive Director Rea Carey says:

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. will forever be an inspiration to people everywhere for his moral courage and unwavering belief that fairness is not a privilege of power, but rather a right of humanity.

With inestimable grace, resilience and determination, Dr. King challenged an unjust status quo and championed efforts to dismantle a system that had been purposely constructed to keep racial minorities in the margins. He had faith in humankind’s better angels and the belief that profound wrongs could in fact be righted. Somehow it seems immensely appropriate that today’s commemoration falls on the same day as the inauguration of America’s first black president.

Dr. King’s message of hope continues to resonate with people facing down injustice all around the world, including lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and our families. His life is a testament to the knowledge that true, positive lasting change is possible when we stand together against injustice — and stand together for our common humanity.