Speaker Welch to Join AFL-CIO MLK Jr. Civil and Human Rights Conference

WESTCHESTER, Ill. – House Speaker Emanuel ‘Chris’ Welch will honor Martin Luther King’s fight for social and economic justice in Montgomery, Alabama this weekend, joining labor leaders at a panel discussion on “Democracy’s Front Lines: Power in Our Nation’s State Legislatures.” Speaker Welch will highlight Illinois’ diversity, equity, and inclusion policies, as well as the state’s commitment to protecting workers’ rights. 

“I’m honored to be speaking at this year’s AFL-CIO Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Civil and Human Rights Conference, where hundreds of union members, activists, community leaders and more will convene in Montgomery, Alabama, for a weekend of strategizing on the continued fight for economic and racial justice as a labor movement,” said Speaker Welch. “Together, we are building a multiracial labor movement that fights for all working people to dismantle structural racism, protect our democracy, and defend our right to organize.” 

State legislatures are becoming increasingly important in the fight to preserve and protect America’s democracy, especially with the recent rise in far-right extremism. Illinois has been at the forefront of putting working families first and protecting reproductive choice, fighting climate change, and expanding workers’ rights. This conference provides an opportunity to highlight that progress, as well as a chance for Speaker Welch to collaborate with leaders across the country. 

Speaker Welch will travel to Alabama on Saturday. He will participate in the panel discussion alongside Rhode Island state Sen. Sandra Cano and Alabama state Rep. Laura Hall.