50 years later, there is still much to be done

Nancy Quarles: "50 Years Later, there is still much work to be done"

Dear Phillip,

"I have a dream" is today probably one of the most famous phrases in our
society, and everyone from the very young to the very old can tell you
where this phrase comes from. However, not everyone who knows where
this phrase originated can tell you what the speech or the March on
Washington were attempting to highlight. 

50
years after the speeches delivered by Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.,
Bayard Rustin, A. Philip Randolph, and now-Congressman John Lewis at the
March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, I’m so proud of how far we’ve
come. The March was one of the most successful mobilizations in the
history of American liberalism, and so many great victories for economic
justice and civil rights have been won in the decades since.

There
is still much work to be done. In 2013, the economic gap between whites
and African-Americans persists. Our gay and lesbian brothers and
sisters still aren’t protected from job and housing discrimination. And
the real minimum wage today is lower than it was in 1963, eroding the
shot that many working families have at economic security. 

It
isn’t enough to respond to these facts with platitudes, and that’s why
I’m writing to you today. We need a commitment to 21st century activism,
and I’m so proud of the work the Michigan Democratic Party is doing on
that front. We need you to join us, as a member, on Facebook, and on Twitter today, because we're stronger when we stand together.

It’s
time for all of us to come together in the diverse coalition that makes
up the Democratic Party, and remember what makes our state great. It’s
time for us to work hard to ensure that Lansing and Washington look more
like our communities. It’s time for us to win.

Thanks for all you do,

Nancy Quarles

Vice Chair, Michigan Democratic Party