The BTS Center
97 India Street • Portland, ME 04101
January 18, 2021
Dear Friends:
Written during the height of tension in April 1963, during what was called The Birmingham campaign — a coordinated time of nonviolent direct action that included marches and sit-ins to call attention to the violence of racism and racial segregation in Birmingham, Alabama — Dr. King’s Letter, which you can read in full at this link, has been called “the most important written document of the civil rights era.”
On this Martin Luther King Day in 2021, we must acknowledge that the work of racial justice is far from finished. We must acknowledge that Rev. Dr. King’s challenge to religious communities and leaders is as relevant today as it was 57 years ago.
You will find two videos below:
We also invite you to make your prayer concrete by supporting, with your time and your financial resources, the efforts of organizations doing the work of anti-racism. Here is a list of organizations generated by the 14 readers who took part in today’s event, as well as leaders of The BTS Center and the Maine Council of Churches.
This is by no means a comprehensive list — there are so many organizations doing good and necessary work in the world — but we hope this list will inspire you to think about organizations you wish to support.
Today, may the words of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. resonate in new ways. May they speak to us and stir us to holy discomfort. May they challenge us and lead us to recommit ourselves fully to the journey of racial justice and equity.
With gratitude and prayer,
