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Harris described personal experiences of economic hardship and cited her work with the Poor People’s Campaign, including attending a national action in Washington, D.C., in 2023. “Poverty is the leading cause of death,” Harris said, adding: “Poverty equals death, America’s shame.”

Why it matters: Harris framed poverty not as an individual failing but as a systemic condition that requires collective advocacy and ongoing organizing. She invoked Dr. King’s Poor People’s Campaign as a continuing movement and called for sustained civic pressure on institutions that she said perpetuate economic injustice.

Harris described how participation in organized action gave her a voice and encouraged others to join. “We will fight. We're not gonna give in and we're not gonna give up,” she said. She also urged community members to stop staying silent about injustice: “No. If you've been silent, we won't be silent anymore.”

Her remarks were part of a program of cultural performances and community recognitions. Harris’s speech emphasized poverty as a public-health and policy concern, not only a moral one, and urged attendees to engage in continuing campaigns and to demand systemic change.

Ending: Harris closed by asking the audience to keep organizing and to remember the Poor People’s Campaign’s links to Dr. King’s broader civil-rights agenda.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","MLK Celebration 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Carol Harris, a longtime activist and leader associated with the Poor People’s Campaign and SEIU, spoke at the City of Federal Way’s MLK Day celebration about poverty, personal hardship and continued organizing, saying \"Poverty is America's shame\" and urging people not to be silent.","taxTitle","Federal Way, King County, Washington","taxId",2589,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6374581,"Keynote speaker at Federal Way MLK celebration urges systemic change and youth-led action",606,4668000,5274000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2144104-fb138bf80b35aa201179cfd1ef5e506f&start=4668&end=5274","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2144104-fb138bf80b35aa201179cfd1ef5e506f/thumbnail_4668000.jpg","/articles/6374581/Federal-Way/King-County/Washington/Keynote-speaker-at-Federal-Way-MLK-celebration-urges-systemic-change-and-youth-led-action","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6374581-12e17e77172ac0288605f44cf0d8f894/orig.mp4?Expires=1773721036&Signature=D2EqCRdWzCckHFRMqCtxQEewQqsd3BpA1fpgxPbWOZ4J~Nx28qFlVFQdg6AZJ5LZftmZ2LG9e7n-eEq0cTwLBFiIK-qHSMIQlisLxJ5wfbMSlsBtYqaq1vvOSDoLAqSfg4jfB4WsQPYQ81H6v3Ubm-jhn74duVOyuApmPOQpOQohd7j2tgVq6XatRU2YIhz7I2ZB4iv7hp9367LW5oLiuvLr21UAMqYbyW0mgj~iU-r9VfoFW2jbf6g-eHDUCBVWd3rVM--9z-PLmRzrG272KGor3f0wByPqDLWyundFhID~Ezk3XZM5Ehe4dqV7iqMfBB6IIa~EoC8FZzgShyYk6w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Evan Cook, a community advocate and board chair of the Federal Way Black Collective, told attendees at the City of Federal Way’s 32nd annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Community Celebration in Federal Way that the nation has “deferred” Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream and that local residents must organize youth-led efforts to rebuild systems that perpetuate inequality.

Cook said integration without structural change has left communities behind and called for bold local steps, including education improvements, economic opportunity and reparations for descendants of enslaved people. “I was hesitant to accept this opportunity because fundamentally, I disagree with some of the civil rights movement,” Cook said. “This is the year we face the mirror.”

Why it matters: Cook framed the speech as a call for moving from commemoration to sustained local action. He urged Federal Way leaders and community members to prioritize long-term investments in schools and economic programs and to transfer power to younger activists. “It is not the job of the oppressor to liberate the oppressed,” he said. “Education, community, and economic empowerment, and a spiritual rebirth are the pillars upon which we must build.”

Cook criticized what he described as symbolic gains that did not change underlying systems. He referenced historical episodes and the need to rebuild institutions: “Those systems must be destroyed to the core and rebuilt by the hands of our children,” he said. He also urged residents to “hold ourselves and our leaders accountable” and said organizers should prepare youth to lead immediately, not only in the future.

Throughout his remarks Cook repeatedly appealed to local audiences to adopt concrete habits—mentorship, civic engagement and community economic initiatives—to prepare younger generations to lead. He closed by urging collective action and a commitment to persistent organizing: “Let's come together, rise up, and be the revolution. Thank you.”

The celebration also included musical and cultural performances, a community-flame pledge and presentations recognizing local volunteers and youth leaders.

Ending: Cook’s speech closed the event’s program of performances and community testimonials with a call to translate commemoration into local policy changes and organized youth leadership.","Evan Cook, a community advocate and board chair of the Federal Way Black Collective, told attendees at the City of Federal Way's 32nd annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Community Celebration that King’s dream has been deferred and urged local action on education, economic opportunity and accountability for leaders.","actionData","errors"]

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Poor People’s Campaign activist Carol Harris calls poverty a national shame at Federal Way MLK event

Keynote speaker at Federal Way MLK celebration urges systemic change and youth-led action