New York Attorney General Letitia James delivered a passionate and defiant address on Monday, January 19, 2026, as part of a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, invoking the late civil rights leader’s legacy to rally support for immigrants, marginalized communities, and democratic values in the United States.
Speaking to a packed audience, James positioned herself as a frontline defender of New York against what she described as growing authoritarianism, corruption, and injustice at the federal level.
“So let us stand this day, like Dr. King, who spoke for the unheard, the masses, the stranger, the foreigner, the immigrant,” James said, drawing loud applause as she framed the civil rights struggle as an ongoing fight rather than a closed chapter of history.
She warned against efforts to undermine state authority and civil liberties, declaring that any attempt to exert power over New York would be met with firm resistance.
In a particularly forceful moment, the Attorney General asserted her constitutional role as a protector of all New Yorkers, regardless of background or identity.
“And you can come for me, but you’ve got to go through Brooklyn! They want to exert power over New York! They’ve got to respect us as a sovereign state, and they’ve got to recognize that the Attorney General of this great state, I’ve got a job and a duty to protect all of you!” she said amid rousing applause.
Her remarks echoed concerns raised by civil rights groups about recent policy directions and political rhetoric in the United States.
James also voiced strong solidarity with communities she said were being unfairly targeted, including immigrants, transgender people, and the wider LGBTQ+ community. She described these groups as being scapegoated by what she termed a “cruel and mean-spirited government,” urging Americans of conscience to stand united rather than divided by fear and hate.
“Let us take a stand against lawlessness, and corruption, and hatred, and racism, and greed, and economic injustice that we are experiencing during these dark days as a result of this authoritarian government. Let us stand today for the trans community and the gay community that’s being scapegoated by a cruel and mean-spirited government,” she urged.
Calling for collective action, James urged the audience to remain fearless and engaged.
“Let us march, let us use our voices, and let us not be afraid,” she said, vowing to deploy the law “both as a sword and as a shield” in defense of democracy and human rights.
Her speech closed with a call for unity and perseverance, underscoring that the ideals championed by Dr. King remain central to contemporary struggles for justice.
