Renner speaks at King Day event in Ohio

Richard Renner and Archie JacksonI had the privilege of speaking at the Tuscarawas County, Ohio, commemoration of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., holiday. It has been 22 years since Rev. Christopher Lowery and I started these local commemorations. Here I am with my friend, Rev. Archie Jackson.

The event gave me an opportunity to speak about the persistent effect of slavery, and how many Haitian families could still use the wages left unpaid. I spoke of my affection for Tuscarawas County, and the many local organizations that help us live more justly with one another. I explained our work with the Bunny Greenhouse, Bassem Youssef and Bradley Birkenfeld cases.  I called for statehood for the District of Columbia and for passage of the Arbitration Fairness Act, HR 1020 and S 931. Ohioans have two Senators to call for co-sponsorship. DC residents do not. I reflected on the similarity of prophesy, especially as Prof. Francine Childs explained it ten years ago, and whistleblowing. Finally, I compared President Barack Obama's Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech with that of Dr. King.

The local Times-Reporter has a story about the event in today's edition. Thank to you Rev. Lowery and attorney Marvin Fete for inviting me, and for carrying on the local tradition of remembering Dr. King's message.

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Renner to keynote King Day event in Dover, Ohio

I am pleased to announce here that I will be delivering the keynote address of the commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Day in Tuscarawas County, Ohio.  The event will begin at 7:00 p.m., this Monday, January 18, 2010, at the First Baptist Church, 140 Regent St., Dover, Ohio.  The local Time Reporter newspaper has a lead story about the event in today's edition.  The event will be an opportunity for me to speak about my work here at the National Whistleblowers Center, and how we draw on the message and mission of Dr. King. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., serves as a prophet for the present day. His message and life work ended apartheid in America. Yet, his call for an end to povery, discrimination and war are still unfulfilled. The national holiday in his honor is an opportunity for us to think about how every person has the capacity to change within, and to change the world.