Highland Park To Celebrate MLK Jr. Day Of Service Remotely

HIGHLAND PARK, IL — On Monday, events in Highland Park will honor the life and legacy of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. In some U.S. cities, however, people plan to forgo the celebration of the federal holiday to take a stand in support of voting rights.

Last month, the family of the late civil rights activist called on President Joe Biden and members of the U.S. Senate to either restore and expand voting rights in honor of King's legacy or skip the celebration of his namesake holiday.

Fueling the King family’s call are at least 400 voter suppression bills introduced during the first five months of 2021, 33 of which were put into law across 19 states, according to a report by Insider citing data from the Voting Rights Lab.

In response, the Kings are demanding meaningful action on the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. They also asked Biden to "ensure the Jim Crow filibuster doesn't stand in the way."

Related: No MLK Jr. Day Without Action On Voting Rights, King Family Says

The Freedom to Vote Act would create a national standard for voting access, overruling many restrictions passed or proposed in states. Meanwhile, the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act would restore and strengthen parts of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 after certain portions of the bill were struck down by two U.S. Supreme Court decisions.

While passed by thin margins in the U.S. House of Representatives, both bills remain stuck in the Senate, blocked primarily by Republican opposition.

To encourage the Senate to pass both bills, demonstrations are planned Saturday in Phoenix, Arizona, and Monday in Washington, D.C. More than 100 grassroots organizations have joined the Kings’ call to action.

"Voting is an essential part of our democracy's infrastructure," Arndrea Waters King said in a statement. Waters King is the wife of Martin Luther King III, the son of the slain civil rights icon.

“We cannot afford for it to crumble any further," she added.

Just days ahead of MLK Jr. Day, Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris visited Atlanta Tuesday to talk about the voting rights bills — bills Biden called a "turning point."

In an excerpt of his speech released by the White House, Biden said, "The next few days, when these bills come to a vote, will mark a turning point in this nation. Will we choose democracy over autocracy, light overshadow, justice over injustice? I know where I stand. I will not yield. I will not flinch. I will defend your right to vote and our democracy against all enemies foreign and domestic. And so the question is where will the institution of (the) United States Senate stand?"

Related: Biden To Senate On Voting Rights Bills: 'Pass It Now'

It’s unclear whether the Senate will vote on either bill ahead of Monday's holiday.

In Highland Park, the city and park district are jointly holding their13th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service.

This year, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the event will be held via video-teleconferencing software. It will feature a keynote address, remote service projects, a question-and-answer session and more, according to an announcement from city staff.

A donation drop-off event is planned from noon to 2 p.m. in the parking lot of the Highland Park Country Club, 1201 Park Ave. W. Various service organizations will be collecting bicycles, hygiene and grooming products, used coats and more.

More information about participating organizations, donation requests and Monday's presentations are available online.

Read more: City of Highland Park to Host Virtual MLK Day of Service Event

In past years, the event has been held at the Recreation Center of Highland Park and includes on-site service projects for attendees.

This year, it is due to be recorded and posted to the city's website and streamed on social media.

Keynote speaker Patrick Dankwa John, a Guyana-born U.S. Coast Guard veteran, family lawyer and diversity trainer, will discuss how King's calls for redistribution of wealth and political power has been "diluted and sanitized over time."