Martin Luther King Day Remembrance

Message from Rob Westwood, President of Democrats of the Desert

January 2018

from Louisville, Kentucky

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is a special day to commemorate, regardless of where you are. However, I grew up in the South, and I remember as

a kid in the early and mid 1960's when the south was a shameful "Whites Only" place: no rest rooms, no water fountains, no movies, no lunch

counters, no schools, not much of anything for blacks. I remember wanting to sit in the balcony when mom took us on a special trip on the

bus to downtown Louisville. We were denied because the balcony was closed to whites and only open certain days to blacks. The candy counter

in the theater was even off limits for blacks. Shameful, horrible and terrifying to see this as a child.

Then, mom took us (my 3 sisters and me) downtown once to shop. We ended up at Woolworth's, where we came upon a demonstration by blacks

and supporters because black folks were not allowed to sit at the lunch counter there. My mom, Dorothy, gathered us and held on to us. We

actually joined the supporters of the demonstrators. My dad, George, showed up because he was going to meet us for lunch. He joined in

mom's attempt to gather us. We protested along with the supporters. Mom and dad encouraged us not to be afraid. It was a loud but peaceful

protest. Dad told us it was the "right" thing to do to join white supporters. He had hired a black man to work for him the week before. I will never

forget that day.

Fast forward to today and our President of the United States Shameful, horrible

and terrifying all over again.

Please commemorate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day with peace, harmony, love and calm, controlled anger this year: 2018.

And, join the rally and march on January 20 at 11:30 am at Frances Stevens Park in downtown Palm Springs to resist this administration's

inhumane, sexist, hateful, homophobic, anti-transgender, anti-immigrant and un American, un patriotic regime. Say no. Please, resist

and push back so we will stop moving backward instead of forward.

I hope to see you on Saturday, January 27 at 2 pm at the monthly Democrats of the Desert meeting (Date Palm Country Club clubhouse in

Cathedral City).