Hint: Today, Dr. King would teach employees about more than just racial allyship.
Most people in the world know that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a Baptist minister and chief spokesperson for nonviolent activism in the Civil Rights Movement, which protested racial discrimination in federal and state law and civil society.
Dr. King never abandoned his nonviolent advocacy and activism for racial equality and social justice, so racial allyship would certainly remain on his agenda today.
What most people don’t know is that later in his life Dr. King launched two initiatives that suggest that King’s view of inclusion and allyship today would be broader and more holistic:
- First, in 1967, declaring “my conscience leaves me no other choice,” King described the Vietnam war’s deleterious effects on both America’s poor and Vietnamese peasants and insisted that it was morally imperative for the U.S. to take radical steps to halt the war through nonviolent means. King’s anti-war sentiments emerged publicly for the first time in March 1965, when King declared that “millions of dollars can be spent every day to hold troops in South Vietnam and our country cannot protect the rights of Negroes in Selma, Alabama.”
- Second, in 1968, The Poor People’s Campaign was motivated by a desire for economic justice: the idea that all people should have what they need to live. King shifted their focus to these issues after observing that gains in civil rights had not improved the material conditions of life for many Black Americans. Many leaders of American Indian, Puerto Rican, Mexican American, and poor white communities in Appalachia pledged themselves to the Poor People’s Campaign.
Inclusive Leaders Group’s award-winning virtual educational session returns in 2025!
“What Dr. King Would Teach Today’s Employees About Allyship” is a 60-minute duration, virtual, interactive, live facilitator-led session that is perfect to celebrate MLK Jr. Day, Black History Month, and inclusion and allyship throughout the year!
Great Place To Work defines Allyship in the workplace means using your personal privilege to support colleagues from historically marginalized communities. Allies wield their influence to amplify the voices and elevate the employee experience of their underrepresented co-workers.
In this video, I describe the award-winning “What Dr. King Would Teach Today’s Employees About Allyship” learning experience, that embraces all aspects of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, not just one.
Final Thoughts
When you embrace allyship, you become a superhero of empathy, compassion, and understanding. Not only does it ignite a fire of personal growth within you, but it also transforms organizations into vibrant ecosystems of creativity, innovation, and collaboration.
LEARN More about scheduling ILG’s What Dr. King Would Teach Today’s Employees About Allyship virtual learning experience for your organization. Complete the Contact Form or schedule a time to meet on our Calendar.
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