As the United States marks Martin Luther King Jr. Day, former Vice President Kamala Harris is calling on Americans to channel Dr. King’s legacy into renewed civic resistance.
She is urging Chicagoans to “bear down” against what she described as divisive policies and aggressive immigration enforcement under the Trump administration.
Harris delivered the remarks Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Interfaith Breakfast in Chicago’s South Loop, an event rooted in the city’s civil rights history and held this year under the theme “defending democracy, protecting our rights.”
With MLK Jr. Day being observed nationwide today, her message echoed King’s enduring call for moral courage, collective action, and perseverance in the face of injustice.
“To love your country is to fight for your country,” Harris told the audience, according to reporting by Chicago Sun Times, invoking Dr. King’s philosophy as she warned against fear, division, and political silence. “They may want us to be afraid, to be divided, to be silent. But we won’t give them that satisfaction.”
Linking Past Struggles to Present-Day Politics
Harris said she arrived in Chicago after visiting Memphis, Tennessee, where she spent time at the National Civil Rights Museum, reflecting on the conditions King confronted — from government-sanctioned segregation and voter suppression to political violence and racial terror.
“What we understand about that moment is that hate and fear were being weaponized by the powerful to terrorize those they saw as powerless,” she said, drawing parallels to the present political climate.
She asked the audience to consider what King might think if he were alive today, pointing to controversies over congressional redistricting, attacks on civil rights protections, and the spread of misinformation through social media.
Harris also criticized current federal immigration enforcement tactics, referencing instances in which families have been separated and individuals arrested in public spaces and places of worship.
“When people are ripped out of their cars, out of their homes, out of their churches, people are sick and tired of being sick and tired,” she said, repeating one of King’s most enduring phrases.
Call to Action on MLK Jr. Day
With MLK Jr. Day serving as a national moment of reflection, Harris urged Americans not to retreat into cynicism or exhaustion, but instead to recommit to organizing, voting, and civic engagement.
“This is not a moment to throw up our hands,” she said. “It is a moment to roll up our sleeves — to organize, to register people to vote, and to speak and act with truth, power, and conviction.”
She explained that Chicago, with its long history of labor organizing, civil rights activism, and political reform, is uniquely positioned to lead.
“The fight requires courage. It requires stamina. And it requires commitment,” Harris said. “It requires us to show up, even when we are sick and tired.”
Political Undercurrents
Harris, the 2024 Democratic presidential nominee, has been open about considering another White House run in 2028, alongside other potential contenders including Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Her Chicago appearance follows a visit last fall tied to the promotion of her book reflecting on the 2024 election.
Friday’s breakfast also featured remarks from Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, and honored community leaders Jacqueline L. Jackson and Rev. David Black with the Champion of Freedom Award.
The annual MLK Interfaith Breakfast was founded more than four decades ago by the late Harold Washington, Chicago’s first Black mayor, and continues to honor Dr. King’s legacy through faith, activism, and community leadership.
As Americans observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day today, Harris’ remarks reflected a central theme of the holiday: that democracy, she argued, remains a participatory project — one that demands action, even in weary times.
