Sign Making & Waving for Dr. King Day 2026
Darrington shows up for Martin Luther King Day Jan 19
Sign Making, Darrington Library We had a great turnout for our sign crafting session at the library on Saturday, Jan 17. Adults and kids discussed slogans, shared ideas, did drawings, colored, and painted away making beautiful statements about justice, love, community, and kindness. When we needed brushes and cups, library staff was there with batches of craft materials. Thank-you to the library for their help and welcome.
Energy for Justice at Street Corners in Town
Twenty or so community members and friends joined together to celebrate Dr. King's message of equality, liberty, and justice for all. A number of younger people asked what was going on, and seemed happy to hear we were there to promote peace, love, and understanding in a non-violent way.
Civil Rights Work Continues
At the same time, we are thinking of the terrible brutality being inflicted on regular people in other places, such as Minneapolis. For no reason other than how people look, what their name is, or where they live, innocent people are targeted, taken away, homes are invaded, and families are terrorized. I've just been reading an account of the Freedom Rides of 1961, by Charles Person, who at age eighteen joined with Dr. Martin Luther King, John Lewis, and others in our country's historic struggle for Civil Rights. Charles Person was beaten and bloodied, his friends nearly killed, all for the crime of sitting at the front of a bus. Sixty-five years later, after acts of congress and constitutional changes, civil rights of regular people are being violated with impunity. So much more to say here, but reading a personal account of a young man who acted with courage is worth your time.
A stirring story, easy to read, I'd recommend this book for anyone who does not know what people have done in our past to ensure the freedoms we assume we now have. I found Buses Are A Comin' on the shelf at the library, along with a batch of other books on Black History – thanks to our local library for keeping us informed.
Buses Are a Comin', by Charles Person
Civil Rights in News this week
With such hard fought freedoms in mind now as we remember the struggle of Dr. King, civil rights are again in the national news. Last week, six career officials in the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) resigned in the aftermath of the killing of an unarmed citizen, Renee Good. Why? Because instead of trying to find out exactly what happened, these federal prosecutors were told that the Dept. of Justice would not investigate the incident, despite it being exactly the kind of high profile incident that should be looked in to.
The lawyers left the civil rights division, which has a criminal investigations unit that investigates the use of force by police officers
Federal prosecutors quit in protest over lack of investigation into ICE shooting Jan 13, 2026, The Guardian
The federal agent doing the shooting was allowed to go free. Instead, associates of Renee Good are being investigated as instigators of violence and Good herself is accused of assaulting a federal officer with her car. In the past, such cases have been investigated as a possible violation of a person's fourth amendment protection against the use of excessive force by law enforcement.
Background on Civil Rights
Founded nearly 70 years ago, the Civil Rights Division has a long history of investigating shootings of civilians by law enforcement officials even though prosecutors typically need to clear a high bar to mount a criminal prosecution.
What Constitutes a Civil Rights Violation?
Civil rights are guarantees of equal social opportunities and fair treatment under the law, ensuring individuals can participate in society without unfair disadvantages. A civil rights violation is an infringement of these legally protected assurances. These protections are designed to shield people from discrimination and unequal treatment in many areas of public life.
https://legalclarity.org/what-constitutes-a-civil-rights-violation/
Sources for information in this article
Justice Department prosecutors resign amid turmoil over Minnesota ICE shooting investigation Jan 13, 2026. Independent.co.uk
Mass exodus hits Justice Department's Civil Rights Division amid lack of action in Minneapolis, sources say Jan 13, 2026. CBS News
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