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In his 1957 “Give Us the Ballot” speech, Dr. King declared: “Give us the ballot, and we will no longer have to worry the federal government about our basic rights… Give us the ballot, and we will transform the salient misdeeds of bloodthirsty mobs, into the calculated good deeds of orderly citizens… Give us the ballot, and we will fill our legislative halls with men of goodwill.”
In King’s speech, which is just as relevant now as it was nearly 70 years ago, he goes on to declare that there is an urgent need for dedicated and courageous leadership among four groups: non-elected administrative government; lukewarm elected officials within both political parties — Republicans and Democrats; the Black community, who he encouraged to be calm and strategic in the struggle for equality; and the many open-minded but silent white moderates who he charged to rise up without fear and take up leadership in an intense period of injustice and social unrest.
As eloquently and as lovingly as only Dr. King could, he did not call these people out — he called them in.
Over the past year, our nation has grappled with the loss of rights, resources, and safety which we once took for granted. I have been keen to seek out, notice, and celebrate the actions and leadership of many people of diverse identities, backgrounds, sectors, and communities, who stand tall and firm on the right side of history. People who King would laud for their courage if he were alive today. To these valiant individuals, for actions big and small, we see you, we are with you, and we thank you.
To those who have not stepped up to lend your voice, vote, and influence in our current struggle for democracy, fairness, justice, and safety, in the spirit of Dr. King, I lovingly call you in.
We do not need the masses to drive the shifts that are essential to healthy and thriving communities across this nation, we only need the ballot, and a critical mass. Specifically, we need the help of a principled, strategic, united, and committed few. We need you.
In our region, we have a long and storied history in the struggle for justice. While some states watched from a distance, Missouri and Kansas stood at the literal divide between freedom — one enslaved, one free — both front and center in America’s defining moral struggle. Together, our two states formed the crucible in which the nation’s future — slaveholding or free — would be forged.
In Kansas, recent attempts to redraw congressional maps — particularly those affecting the Kansas City region — were defeated due to enough legislators standing on the right side of history. Despite this temporary reprieve, state legislative leaders may revive these efforts in the 2026 session.
Meanwhile, in Missouri, electoral districts have been redrawn in ways that dilute the influence of communities of color and rural communities. In December, 300,000 Missourians — nearly triple the required number — submitted petitions demanding a referendum vote to let the people decide the fate of the state’s gerrymandered congressional map.
The map unjustly splits Kansas City into three districts, making it harder for residents to be fairly represented and adequately resourced by Washington. It’s a textbook case of politicians prioritizing their power over the needs of our communities.
However, state officials are putting the new, unfair map into place anyway before voters can make their voices heard, breaking over a century of Missouri law. Underhandedly, they’ve offered petition gatherers up to $5,000 to quit their efforts. They’re also attempting to delay and neuter the voter referendum process — the truest form of direct democracy available to Missourians. And they’re filing lawsuits to block the vote entirely.
The Missouri referendum isn’t just a dispute in Missouri. It’s about whether communities can hold their representatives accountable. When politicians strip power from groups of Missourians, the balance in Congress gets skewed and places federal resources at the mercy of D.C. partisan politics, not the needs of the people. Not only do local priorities get sidelined — the real priorities of most Americans go unaddressed by a corrupt system unable to truly meet their needs.
Voting rights are diminished when officials make it harder for citizens to have their say, whether through restrictive voting laws, gerrymandered maps, selectively upholding the will of the people, or by blocking voter referendums they know they stand to lose.
On this Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we celebrate the many Missourians and Kansans who are organizing to protect our right to fair representation in our region, despite coordinated national and state opposition. I’m proud Health Forward has been able to use our unique position to help support and strengthen these efforts to safeguard a healthy, representative, and inclusive democracy and a new legacy of freedom and unity in our bi-state region.
Whether in Kansas or Missouri, you can honor Dr. King’s legacy by using your voice to protect our freedom, challenge unfair gerrymandering efforts, and defend the voter referendum process. Vote, reach out, show up, speak out, and join us in advancing a people-powered democracy that strengthens Missouri, Kansas, and our nation. We don’t need the masses, we just need the ballot. And we need you.
