On Martin Luther King Jr. Day I’m reading King’s “Letter from the Birmingham Jail,” originally written on toilet paper, the only material he was allowed in his isolated cell at that time. I’m also learning the legacy of exclusion of African Americans from national parks, which for years had signs reading “For White People Only.”
For the past 15 years, national parks have been free to enter on national holidays. However, under the current administration, two days are excluded from this practice. They are Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth, the only two national holidays giving special recognition to African Americans. The Trump administration policy applies in every state, including Oregon. At least in California, Gov. Gavin Newsom responded by announcing that people will be admitted to California’s state parks for free on MLK Day and Juneteenth.
The blatant racism, lawlessness and contempt of the Trump administration becomes more and more evident every day. We must be mindful, as the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. wisely observed, that “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
Ann Magill
Ashland
