Honoring Dr. King in Our Community: Housing & Basic Needs 

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. believed that all people should have equal opportunity in life – whether White or Black, rich or poor. “I have the audacity to believe,” he exclaimed, “that people everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education, and culture for their minds and dignity, equality and freedom for their spirits.” 
 
While Dr. King made unprecedented progress in fighting for this belief, we still are far away from Dr. King’s “promised land” of equality and justice for all. Today, Black and Brown families are more likely to live in poorer neighborhoods, have lower paying jobs, and have less money in their bank accounts when compared to their White counterparts. There are historical explanations for these disparities, and that history is very relevant when you consider that a family’s wealth is passed down and typically compounded through generations. That’s a large reason why, today, the typical net worth of a White family ($171,000) is ten times greater than that of a Black family ($17,150). 
 
Closing the income and wealth gaps will require time and a multi-pronged approach that includes providing opportunities for better jobs and economic stability to people of color. Organizations funded by United Way deliver those opportunities through a range of programs such as professional development( Charlotte Works), affordable housing (Habitat for Humanity of the Charlotte Region), and economic independence (Just Do It Movement and Urban Institute for Strengthening Families). 

Ways to get educated and involved: 

SERVICE & SUPPORT 

Nonprofit agencies in our area need a variety of items to provide for their clients’ needs. We have created an Amazon Wish List for this week that includes some of those items, and you can specify which county served by United Way (Anson, Cabarrus, Mecklenburg or Union) will receive the purchases. 

Answer the 2025 MLK Call to Service this Saturday, January 18. 

LISTEN & LEARN 

Take a few minutes to listen to an excerpt of the speech, We Must Work by Dr. King. In this address, Dr. King stressed the importance of racial integration and the need for all people to work together to address voting rights issues. Dr. King felt that genuine love for one other would allow advocates to change the hearts and minds of those who have kept systemic forms of racism in place.