New Partnership To Engage A New Generation Of Activists
For Immediate Release – April 16, 2025
Black Voters Matter And The King Center Announce New Partnership To Engage A New Generation Of Activists
GEORGIA – Today, on the 62nd anniversary of Dr. King’s historic Letter from Birmingham Jail, Black Voters Matter (BVM) and The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change (“The King Center”) are proud to announce a new partnership and collaboration, MLK’s Letter from the Birmingham Jail: A Prophetic Guide to Power, Love, Protest, and Liberation. This series aims to bring the profound wisdom of Dr. King’s 1963 Letter from Birmingham Jail to a new generation of activists and offer insight into how these teachings can be used to address the critical issues facing Black and marginalized communities today. This timely series begins in May 2025 and will feature both virtual and in-person workshops.
Using Dr. King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail as a framework, this learning series is designed to ground participants’ understanding of today’s social justice movement through the exploration of four key themes, including civil disobedience, the distinction between just and unjust laws, the white moderate, and the role of the church within movements for change.
This collaboration brings together Black Voters Matter’s grassroots organizing power with The King Center’s rich historical and educational legacy to explore one of the Civil Rights Movement’s most powerful texts. This series offers more than a reflection—it offers a blueprint for hope, resilience, and action. The goal of this series is to provide both historical context and practical tools to navigate the ongoing fight for justice.
“At this juncture in history, my father’s seminal writing, ‘Letter from Birmingham Jail,’ is both relevant and revelatory.
Written in the spirit of Kingian nonviolence, the Letter encompasses the mindset and methods necessary for challenging inhumanity, changing practices and policies, and creating a just, humane nation and world.
The King Center looks forward to working with Black Voters Matter to host experiences that explore the mindset and methods upon which Daddy expounds in ‘Letter from Birmingham Jail.’ I invite you to join us and encourage you to invite others,” said Dr. Bernice A. King, CEO of The King Center.
“We are excited to partner with The King Center on the new series, MLK’s Letter from the Birmingham Jail: A Prophetic Guide to Power, Love, Protest, and Liberation. Sixty-two years later, Dr. King’s powerful message is still relevant and as urgent as ever as the anti-Black policies of extremists threaten to undo progress for Black and marginalized communities. We understand that direct action is a necessary tool to build power for our people, says Cliff Albright, co-founder of Black Voters Matter.
“This letter isn’t just about the America that was – it’s about the America that we’re still fighting to create,” says LaTosha Brown, co-founder of Black Voters Matter. “When we teach this letter to a new generation, it’s not just about history; it’s about reimagining an America that truly delivers on its promises for all people.”
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About The King Center
The Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change (The King Center) is a 501(c) (3) organization established in 1968 by Mrs. Coretta Scott King. The King Center is the official living memorial and programmatic nonprofit organization committed to educating the world on the life, legacy, and teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The King Center serves to inspire new generations to carry forward his unfinished work, strengthen causes and empower change-makers who are continuing his efforts today. The King Center’s premiere educational initiative, Nonviolence365®, is based on Dr. King’s nonviolent philosophy and methodology. His teachings engage participants from various sectors of society, including emerging and next-generation leaders, in modules and exercises that enhance communication, leadership, interpersonal, and conflict reconciliation skills, as well as empower individuals to address injustice.
Black Voters Matter, a 501c4, and Capacity Building Institute, a 501c3, are dedicated to expanding Black voter engagement and increasing progressive power through movement-building and engagement. Working with grassroots organizations, specifically in key states in the South, BVM seeks to increase voter registration and turnout, advocate for policies to expand voting rights/access, and help develop infrastructure where little or none exists to support a power-building movement that keeps Black voters and their issues at the forefront of our election process.
Contact:
Mina Bryant
mbryant@thekingcenter.org