Local government leaders came out forcefully Jan. 18, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, in support of Dr. King’s legacy and unfinished goals. In a production carried on YouTube, “Where Do We Go From Here?” the Bethlehem NAACP brought together state, Northampton County, and City of Bethlehem leaders who uniformly denounced racism and firmly supported racial justice goals.

Esther Lee, the venerable leader of the Bethlehem NAACP and eloquent voice of conscience for the community, and a champion of education for black children, introduced the program.

“We continue our mission to pursue our civil rights. Our branch is alive and well,” said Lee, who is the president of the Bethlehem Chapter of the NAACP.

She said racial disparity, homelessness issues, food needs and undereducated students are problems that need to be addressed.

“Education is one of our prime issues. Economic instability, health insurance for everyone and, I think over the past 52 years, progress has been very slow.”

Lee referred to the death of George Floyd last year after being arrested by Minneapolis police.

“These actions by police set off a movement by Black Lives Matter which prevailed throughout the country and served as a call for action and change. Police officers and law enforcement were out of control in every and hamlet and town,” Lee said.

“Police reform is being challenged and demanded. Police policies continue to be reviewed.

“The community has continued to lack economic security for black and brown citizens,” said Lee. “We need to address the equal pay issue. We need to ensure students are trained for employment. We support and try to assist in accomplishing these goals which would help achieve racial harmony.”

City of Bethlehem Mayor Robert Donchez said, “Time has not lessened [Dr. King’s] accomplishments nor decreased the importance of his work. Time has not dimmed the relevance of his message or the significance of his words.

“Dr. King’s spirit lives on, his legacy endures. Each passing year seems to bring new meaning to Dr. King’s message, but even after 52 years the challenge still remains for America to live up to its highest ideals to ensure liberty, equality, and opportunity for all people regardless of the color of their skin, wealth, religion, gender or their physical abilities.

“Unfortunately, today we continue to fight for civil rights and for the protection of African-Americans, Latinos and other disenfranchised groups.

“Recent events in America have shown that racism is not dead, but is in fact systemic in America,” said Donchez.

“Issues of racial, social and economic and educational inequality still exist in our society. The extensive use of force against people of color needs to be addressed. Police departments need to be state credentialed and certified.

“The City of Bethlehem made a number of police policies public, including a use of force directive, a report on the use of force, police department operational statistics for 2019 and the Citizen Interaction Report. Chief [Michelle] Kott is in the process of reorganizing the department and is participating in City Council’s community engagement [program]. She is also a member of the NAACP’s advisory board and provides the board updates on policies and accreditation of the department.

“Education is a civil rights issue of the 1960s. It is the great equalizer. Universal Pre-K must become law in all 50 states. Equitable funding must be provided to urban school districts so that children of poor communities have the same opportunities as students in suburban districts, and this includes access to the internet.

“The Voting Act of 1965 needs to be enforced. Expand the John Lewis Voting Act of 2020. Every citizen should have the right to vote.

“Recently we have seen alleged examples of voter suppression against people of color, especially in heavily black cities. Voting rolls being purged, eliminating polling places, limiting access to voting by mail, scaling back early voting and controversial voter ID laws, just to name a few.

“America is the greatest country. Controversial issues need to be address and discussed honestly and openly.

“And now it is our journey to fulfill their mission and have an impact on change.”

“We honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King,” said Pennsylvania State Representative Steve Samuelson, representing the 135th District.

“Dr. King wrote, ‘Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,’” said Samuelson. “These words inspire us to action to call out racism wherever we see it. We must fight injustice wherever we see it. We must fight injustice wherever we find it. We must demand equal justice under the law.

“Where do we go from here? Know this: we must always go together with respect and hope and love as we seek justice, equality and opportunity for all of God’s children. Thanks to the Bethlehem NAACP and Esther Lee for leading the way.

“Let’s live by the words of Dr. King not just today, but every day.”

Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure focused on the root of racism. “We’ve been living with the original sin of slavery in our republic and we’ve been trying to overcome that sin ever since. We’re trying to form a more perfect union even today. We must remain hopeful. Even in the darkest days of the pandemic, even during this unrest from those enemies of domestic tranquility that descended upon our capital. Do not despair. We must not give in. Progress can continue to be made for people of color.

“Instead, we must fight for that progress. Renew the voting rights act. Ensure all people have equal access to education. Education is the doorway to economic advancement. The way to full citizenship will be realized for all people in America and people of color who for too long have been neglected in their schools, neglected on the job. And I say ‘No more.’

“Often people say, ‘You need to check your White privilege.’ I’ve thought long and hard about that. I’ve thought about my privilege and I made the following conclusion. And it’s this: I’m going to use my privilege up for the folks. I’m going to do all I can to make the folks’ lives better. When I’m done doing that, I’m going to fade away. Because I will have known that I gave it all.”