Celebrating Human Rights on Martin Luther King Day

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”—Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Despite the bad news that fills the media, many people work to “drive out darkness” and spread the light Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke of in his famous sermon at the Dexter Baptist Church on November 17, 1957. They are people who stand up for the rights of others—people like those who celebrated Dr. King’s birthday at this year’s Martin Luther King Day Parade in Los Angeles.

There was plenty of fun and laughter and shouts of “Happy King Day!” Kids wore Burger King crowns, and old folks adjusted their lawn chairs to have the best view. Musicians, marching bands and community groups all came together to celebrate the spirit of the day.

Youth for Human Rights (YHR) of Southern California was out in force, in full support of the human rights Dr. King worked so hard to guarantee for all Americans.

Youth for Human Rights, an arm of United for Human Rights, educates young people on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the world’s premier human rights document. 

At the parade, volunteers handed out copies of What Are Human Rights? booklets. Many people thanked them, saying “This is what we need today.” The booklets are part of the Youth for Human Rights initiative to raise awareness of human rights.

The group’s 30 public service announcements make it easy for people of all ages to understand the 30 articles of the UDHR. Article 20 is the Right to Public Assembly—one of the rights exercised by those attending the 33rd annual Kingdom Day Parade that began on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Crenshaw. And the Youth for Human Rights PSA illustrating this right prominently features Dr. King, along with Gandhi and Nelson Mandela. 

Youth for Human Rights educational materials promote understanding of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to help ensure these rights for all—and as a way to bring about the light and love that Dr. King spoke about all those years ago.

The Church of Scientology and Scientologists support United for Human Rights, the world’s largest nongovernmental human rights education campaign, reaching out in 195 countries in 27 languages and embraced by 2,300 activists, officials, groups and organizations. The initiative is inspired by Mr. Hubbard’s conviction that “It is vital that all thinking men urge upon their governments sweeping reforms in the field of human rights.”

For more information, visit the Scientology website.