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Winston Wilkinson thanks Utah Senate for backing MLK amendment, recalls march on Washington
Summary
Winston Wilkinson, Director for the Office of Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, addressed the Utah Senate on behalf of the Martin Luther King Jr. Human Rights Commission, thanked lawmakers for supporting a constitutional amendment on the opening session and urged bipartisan work for civil-rights ideals.
Winston Wilkinson, Director for the Office of Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, told the Utah Senate the Martin Luther King Jr. Human Rights Commission was grateful for the legislature’s support of a constitutional amendment changing the opening session to January and urged lawmakers to carry forward Dr. King’s vision of equality and civic service.
"We can create the beloved community that Martin envisioned," Wilkinson said, quoting Coretta Scott King as he urged Utahns to "embrace this common vision and mobilize all of our resources." He described his long personal journey from a segregated upbringing to serving in the Navy and the emotional impact of preparations for the August 28, 1963, March on Washington, which he said "played a profound role in my life for the next four decades."
Wilkinson noted recent national events in Washington, D.C., and said the civil-rights movement's principles have continuing relevance: "As we celebrate and honor Dr. King, we must also acknowledge the peaceful transition of power that took place in Washington, D.C.," he said, referencing the recent inauguration as an instance of national progress tied to King's legacy.
His remarks mixed personal recollection and appeals for bipartisanship; he thanked the legislature and the voters of Utah for the constitutional change and urged senators to support education and awareness of King's ideas of diversity, equality and human rights. The presentation concluded with Wilkinson reciting passages that called on public officials and citizens to "begin to live and work together" toward a just society.
