We honor the life and legacy of civil rights leader Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

King was an activist who fought to eliminate racial disparities and disenfranchisement and reminded us of the importance of hope and healing for America. He was a champion of working people and labor unions, which he saw as integral to his work in promoting civil rights. At the time of his assassination in Memphis, TN, in 1968 he was supporting striking AFSCME sanitation workers.

You are demanding that this city will respect the dignity of labor. So often we overlook the work and the significance of those who are not in professional jobs, of those who are not in the so-called big jobs. But let me say to you tonight that whenever you are engaged in work that serves humanity and is for the building of humanity, it has dignity and it has worth. -- Martin Luther King, 1968 April 3

Today we remember his work and ideals, and how we must continue to actively work for a more equitable and just society.

City of Corvallis offices will be closed on Monday, January 15, 2024 for Martin Luther King, Jr Day.