Although our family celebrates African and African American history and culture (also known as “history and culture”) 365 days a year, I believe that African American History Month should officially begin on January 15, Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday.

It’s clear that Dr. King’s crusade for equality and justice for all human beings is not over. If anything, the 45th presidential administration represents a backlash against the gains obtained as a result of the civil rights and black power movements.

And as much as King championed civil and human rights for African Americans, he also fought to end poverty and income inequality for everyone. The video above includes excerpts from speeches that demonstrate his activism far beyond the dream of racial equality. With the GOP set to execute another reverse Robin Hood heist from the middle and working classes to fuel the filthy rich with tax cuts, King’s voice belongs front and center in contemporary conversations. We need to hear quite a bit from him in the weeks to come.