January 14, 2026
MLK Day Message: Remembering Dr. King
- The Content of Our Character
On January 19, 2025, our country will observe the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This national holiday honors the life and legacy of Dr. King, a leader of the Civil Rights Movement, a teacher, an evangelist, and a tireless social activist whose work continues to shape our nation.
Here in Region 8, we have a special reason to honor Dr. King. He is one of our own. Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, Dr. King attended Morehouse College before earning his doctorate at Boston University. After completing his studies, he entered the ministry and was appointed pastor of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. In the mid-1950s, Dexter Avenue became a center of the growing Civil Rights Movement, propelling Dr. King into national leadership.
On December 1, 1955, Montgomery resident Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a city bus. Her arrest sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which became a catalyst for similar actions across the South. During this period, Dr. King’s home was bombed and he himself was arrested, events that further elevated him as a national figure in the fight for justice and equality.
Many UAW members may not realize that UAW President Walter Reuther and Dr. King were close friends. In 1963, when Dr. King was jailed in Birmingham, Alabama for protesting segregation during the “Children’s Crusade,” Walter Reuther helped raise the $160,000 needed to post bail. Later that year, Dr. King organized the March for Freedom in Detroit, and Walter Reuther provided him with office space at Solidarity House to help plan the event. It was there, at UAW headquarters in Detroit, that Dr. King largely wrote his historic “I Have a Dream” speech, one of the most powerful orations in American history, delivered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington. This moment forever linked the UAW with Dr. King’s movement for justice and dignity for all working-class Americans.
That 17-minute speech is filled with profound truths, each line carrying lasting meaning. While many of its words inspire me, one line has been weighing heavily on my mind: “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” That idea reaches deep. Have you ever stopped to truly consider the content of your character?
Webster’s Dictionary defines character as “the complex of mental and ethical traits marking and often individualizing a person, group, or nation.” With that definition in mind, we must ask ourselves: What is the content of our character, as individuals, as a union, and as a nation? It is often said that character is what we do when no one is watching. Does the content of our character reflect honesty, selflessness, empathy, charity, and care for others?
Do we listen to commentators or politicians who constantly lie and promote a “them versus us” mentality? These divisions are pushed by the rich and powerful to distract working people from the truth, that the working class is being exploited every day while wealth is concentrated at the top. If you look at the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, it is designed to divide people by race, gender, religion, nationality, or any other means necessary to keep us distracted. The real struggle is not between one group of working people and another; it is between the working class and the rich and powerful.
This year, perhaps the most meaningful way to honor Dr. King is to take time to honestly audit the content of our character. Are our opinions grounded in facts, or in lies? Do we judge others by the content of their character, or by characteristics none of us choose, such as race, gender, or nationality? Do we believe we have an ethical obligation to help those in need?
We write our own story every day, and the content of our character is written in every line. To truly honor Dr. King, we must take a hard and honest look at ourselves and ask whether we are comfortable being defined by the choices we make. Sometimes, that requires a long look in the mirror.
In a 1957 sermon, Dr. King offered another powerful reminder: “I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.” Good advice to live by.
On January 19, remember this is not just a day off from work. It is a day to honor a great human being, one remembered not for his wealth, but for the content of his character. Remember the man and carry on his work.
On behalf of the entire Region 8 leadership and staff, let us honor a great man on the observance of his birthday.
WHO ARE WE?! UAW!
Tim Smith
Regional Director
UAW Region 8 |
