CWAers Celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Last month, CWA members and retirees across the country took time to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. For decades, CWA members and retirees have taken action to further the ideals of inclusivity and equity both within CWA and nationally. This year, they celebrated the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by recommitting to the fight for a just society for all.

National Action Network MLK Breakfast(Washington, D.C.)

CWA President Claude Cummings, Public, Healthcare and Education Workers Vice President Margaret Cook, Chair of the CWA National Women’s Committee Yolanda Pearson, and Chair of the CWA National Civil Rights & Equity Committee Reginald Pearson attended the National Action Network's MLK Breakfast in Washington, D.C.

Martin Luther King III and other members of the King family also attended this annual celebration.

 
Public, Healthcare and Education Workers Vice President Margaret Cook, Chair of the CWA National Civil Rights & Equity Committee Reginald Pearson, and Chair of the CWA National Women’s Committee Yolanda Pearson met for breakfast and to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

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Atlanta MLK Day March (Atlanta, Ga.)

Chair of the CWA National Women’s Committee Yolanda Pearson joined CWA Local 3204 President Ed Barlow and the CWA Local 3204 March Committee to participate in the MLK Day March.

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Atlanta MLK Prayer Breakfast (Atlanta, Ga.)

Association of Flight Attendants-CWA International President Sara Nelson spoke at the Atlanta MLK Prayer Breakfast on January 17. She highlighted Dr. King’s lasting message, saying, “Dr. King often said that ‘injustice anywhere is a threat to everywhere.’ In labor we say, ‘An injury to one is an injury to all.’ This concept of solidarity applies across all lines that might normally divide us: by race, by gender, by national origin, by religion; you name it. The boss has used those labels to divide us for hundreds of years: to pit workers against one another as a means of control and to suppress wages. They work to divide us to keep us down and to avoid a real and meaningful showdown between capital and labor.”

You can read her full remarks here.

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2025 MLK Celebration Commemorative Festival (Phoenix, Ariz.)

CWA Local 7050 Executive Vice President Tayqwoiseceyon Akins and CWA Local 7019 Assistant Vice President Vonda Wilkins, representing the National CWA Human Rights Committee, participated in coalition-building at the Arizona “We Still Believe In The Dream” MLK Celebration.

The event brought together local non-profit organizations and businesses, with Akins and Wilkins assisting with A.P.R.I. (Apprenticeship Programs for Racial Inclusion) informational tabling. The team provided key information about pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs aimed at supporting African-American children and adults in the community.

In addition to sharing these valuable resources, the event featured 50/50 raffles, free book giveaways, and information on how to join the Phoenix A.P.R.I. Chapter. Attendees were also educated on the vital importance of labor rights for workers in Arizona, strengthening the connection between labor and the African-American community.

 
Left to right: CWA Local 7050 Executive Vice President Tayqwoiseceyon Akins and CWA Local 7019 Area Vice President Vonda Wilkins joined Ny'Zjhae Jones, Jackson Reed, and Apprenticeship Programs for Racial Inclusion President Rasean Clayton at the 2025 MLK Celebration Commemorative Festival.

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Keeping the Dream Alive in 2025 (Hattiesburg, Miss.)

Federal call center workers for Maximus (members of Call Center Workers United-CWA Local 3509) celebrated MLK Day with food, fun, and awards for their hard work organizing for better wages and healthcare. CWA Local 3509 President Michael Hodges joined the festivities to welcome the call center workers and pledge support for their fight. Maximus workers from both the Hattiesburg, Miss., and Bogalusa, La., sites met with organizers from Step-Up Louisiana, an organization fighting for Dollar General and Family Dollar in Louisiana. Local political candidates for city council also took part.

True to the theme of “Keeping the Dream Alive in 2025: Celebrating MLK's Legacy and Our Achievements for Working People,” attendees watched a slideshow and discussed the campaign’s organizing wins and actions. CCWU-CWA Executive Vice President Anna Flemmings (Hattiesburg call center) and CCWU-CWA Executive Vice President Katrina Berry (Bogalusa call center) presented awards to activists like Lakeisha Preston (pictured below) for their dedication and service.

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This post originally appeared on cwa-union.org.