Happy MLK Day
Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
-- Martin Luther King Jr. "Letter from Birmingham Jail," 16 April 1963
If you are reading this you are also likely enjoying a day off of work or school in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. A leader in the nonviolent civil rights movement in the U.S., King’s legacy is one that is remembered in so much of your everyday employment life.
Although often talked about as violations of state and federal law, a lot of the employment law issues discussed in my blog are about exactly what King was working for: civil rights. But what is a civil right?
Simply put, civil rights are the rights of individuals to receive equal treatment. This right to fair treatment applies to many settings including: education, employment and housing. If you are being treated unfairly at work because of something you can’t change about yourself (age, sex, race, national origin etc) then your civil rights are being violated.
In the employment law context, a civil rights violation can be subtle or glaring but the end result is always the same…it is illegal. One central point Dr. King stressed was the importance in not staying silent in the face of discrimination. Applied to many of you in the working world, I hope you feel empowered by his message to seek help if you are being discriminated against. You know where to find us.
So happy birthday Dr. King and hope everyone is enjoying their holiday.
