Shifting to a Person-Oriented Society: MLK Day of Service with the Electrical Workers Minority Caucus

By Jade Fisher, Communications Specialist

“MLK Day has always been described to me as a Day of Service, not a day off.”

An Electrical Workers Minority Caucus member from New York state helps stock shelves in our market

Tori, a member of the Electrical Workers Minority Caucus (EWMC), shared this powerful sentiment. Ahead of the federal holiday celebrating the renowned civil rights activist and religious leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a team of 40 union electrical workers joined our crew onsite at the food bank to help serve our community.

From January 13th to the 19th, the Minority Caucus hosted a conference in Seattle that called members from across the country to meet in-person to discuss and manage their important work of fighting for working-class families. The theme of this year's conference was "Resist, Rise, Organize: Fight To Preserve Our Future!"

The EWMC was founded in 1974 by a small group of primarily Black and Latino International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) members threatening an informational picket line to protest the underrepresentation of minorities in the International Staff. The mission statement of the Electrical Workers Minority Caucus is to "promote equity, equal opportunity and employment for minorities and underrepresented workers at all levels of the IBEW structure.”

The conference is held every year around the same time as Martin Luther King Jr. Day. But the conference isn't solely focused on the union. The group set aside a substantial amount of time to give back to the community in various ways. In addition to working with us at Ballard Food Bank, this year's projects involved cleaning schools, creating hygiene packs for Mary’s Place, and donating a few electrical projects.

At Ballard Food Bank just past 8:30AM, a big yellow school bus stopped right outside our building carrying 40 enthusiastic union members ready to roll up their sleeves and get to work. Folks split off into smaller groups and deep cleaned our market and cafe, power washed crates that are used across programs to transport food, and stocked shelves in our Community Market. They also assembled an impressive 300 Home Delivery bags with dry goods and picked up trash in the surrounding areas of our building. All before our doors opened to the public.

These activities directly and positively impacted the shopping experiences and visits for our guests who rely on Ballard Food Bank for nutritious meals, fresh groceries, and resource connection. By the end of their quick-paced 1.5 hour shift, they helped us ensure our space was clean, stocked, and ready for opening.

When asked why it's important for the union and caucus to be active in the community, Vice President of the local Seattle chapter said, "It’s important to be involved in the public to give back and support our community. Also to show them the power, love, and opportunities that the union can offer them." Another member added, "Not all IBEW members are EWMC members. But the Declaration of the IBEW starts with, 'Our cause is the cause of human justice, human rights, human security' which I think ties into food justice and elimination [of] poverty. Can’t have human security when there are people who are hungry."

Many of these values align with the morals that are highlighted on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Before his assassination, Martin Luther King Jr. was actively involved in many labor struggles. Like starting the Poor People's Campaign - a multiracial, broad coalition and people’s movement confronting the interlocking evils of systemic racism, poverty, ecological devastation, and militarism.

In late 1967, Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. alongside Marion Wright of the NAACP saw the Poor People’s Campaign as essential to the struggle for genuine equality. King believed equality for Black and other minorities would be incomplete without economic security. In 1968 he resoundingly called for a “revolution of values” and advocated for economic equality and anti-poverty measures. Around the time of his assassination, he was also actively fighting for striking sanitation workers.

Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "The problems of racial injustice and economic injustice cannot be solved without a radical redistribution of political and economic power.”

We share Martin Luther King Jr. and the EWMC's sentiment that strong labor unions and livable wages are anti-poverty measures. We agree that promoting equity, equal opportunity, and employment for marginalized groups helps tackle systemic racism and other injustices that lead to poverty.

Union members and Ballard Food Bank staff pose as the food bank doors open to the public

Food is just one of many vehicles for economic empowerment available at Ballard Food Bank. Our Resource Hub hosts organizations like Disability Empowerment, United Indians of All Tribes Foundation, and Fare Start. These organizations work in job training, employment programs, labor law workshops, and job searching for people who face disproportionate barriers to employment. We know that to fight poverty, we have to have a comprehensive approach that includes connecting our neighbors to good jobs and livable wages.

We are incredibly thankful for the volunteer hours donated by these 40 members of EWMC. Martin Luther King Jr. urged our society to "shift from a 'thing-oriented' society to a 'person-oriented' society." Seeking racial and economic equality hinges on our ability to do so.

To be in solidarity with a caucus of more than 50 EWMC chapters across America made this day of service a beautiful intersection between food justice and worker power. Caring about our neighbors, connecting through food, and ensuring folks have what they need to survive AND thrive is how we can incrementally move to a person-oriented society each and every day.