Tim Walz on 40 Years of Minnesota’s MLK Day
As Minnesota marks its 40th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration, Gov. Tim Walz reflects on Dr. King’s legacy as an ongoing call to action. Walz highlights progress made through investments in families, health care, education, and economic opportunity, while stressing that unity and empathy remain essential as communities face division and uncertainty.
I am proud to recognize Minnesota’s 40th annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day celebration. This day serves as a poignant reminder that the work of justice, the courageous fight that Dr. King began decades ago, is not finished. Dr. King’s profound legacy serves not only as a guide, but as a call to action, a reminder that the pursuit of justice is reliant on our ability to unite across lines of difference.
The work of my administration is guided by the principles set forth by Dr. King: unity, justice, and compassion. I know that we cannot fulfill our mission to make Minnesota the best state to raise a family without standing up against injustice, and we cannot build One Minnesota without ensuring that all Minnesotans are heard, supported, and valued. This work is also deeply inspired by the Black leaders who came before me and those who I have the privilege to work alongside today. In 2022, we saw the election of the first Black women to the Minnesota Senate: Senators Erin Maye-Quade, Zaynab Mohamed, and Clare Oumou Verbeten. And in 2023, Chief Justice Natalie Hudson became the first Black Chief Justice in the Minnesota Supreme Court. These are trailblazers who, despite so much fear and division coming from Washington, D.C., have made their voices heard. Their work is paving the way for so many others.
Our vision of One Minnesota has influenced the work that we have done to improve the lives of all Minnesotans, built around the things that matter most, children and families, economic opportunity, health and safety, and strong local communities. We’ve maintained a focus on removing inequality. As a state we have invested billions of dollars in expanding access to child care and comprehensive health care, strengthening public safety and public schools, reducing child poverty, and investing directly in the economic vibrancy of our communities.
And we are seeing the impacts of this work every day in our classrooms, workplaces, spaces of worship, and throughout our communities. By choosing empathy and showing up for one another we’re countering the hatred that threatens to divide us and building a stronger, more equitable Minnesota.
Today, as the federal government stokes fear, threatens entire communities, and cuts funding that millions rely on, we’re seeing the importance of our unity. When we fail to listen to one another, when we stop seeing each other as human beings, we lose sight of Dr. King’s work and veer dangerously toward the division that sets us back.
Yet, I remain hopeful that Minnesotans will continue to rise up together with the love, courage, and collective responsibility that drives our vision of One Minnesota. As Governor, I will continue to prioritize unity, and together we will carry Dr. King’s legacy forward to build the future he imagined.
Sincerely,
Governor Tim Walz