by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman
January 20, 2026
The MLK Day rally highlighted the late civil proper activist’s struggle for healthcare justice.
Rev. Al Sharpton stood with hanging New York Metropolis nurses at a rally in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
The civil rights chief joined the New York State Nurses Affiliation for the Jan. 19 occasion. It not solely honored King’s legacy of equality in all varieties but in addition highlighted these values in NYSNA’s ongoing struggle for healthcare justice.
Almost 15,000 medical professionals and Sharpton joined the demonstration with the family-focused occasion at Mount Sinai Morningside. Through the occasion, the NYSNA member nurses additionally carried out free group well being screenings, serving to neighboring NYCHA residents on the George Washington Carver Homes.
Sharpton appeared as a pillar of assist for the nurses as they entered the 2nd week of the biggest strike in historical past. Because the NYSNA continues talks with hospital executives within the metropolis, Sharpton’s presence added to their plight for healthcare justice.
Aligned with Dr. King’s assist for healthcare fairness, the rally addressed nurses’ considerations about high quality healthcare companies for sufferers in various neighborhoods. Of their ongoing demonstration, NYSNA members hope to deal with insufficient staffing, elevated office violence, and their considerations about healthcare advantages.
“Nurses honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his dedication to racial and financial justice by preventing for each affected person to be handled like a VIP whatever the coloration of their pores and skin or their skill to pay,” wrote the NYSNA in an announcement. “We’re on strike for affected person and nurse security. Our sufferers can’t get the secure, high quality care they want when there aren’t sufficient nurses on the bedside, once we don’t have protections from violence in our hospitals, or when nurses can’t entry their very own healthcare to remain nicely on the job.”
Exemplifying Dr. King’s strategies of direct, nonviolent motion, the nurses additionally spent the MLK weekend calling on hospital executives to progress negotiations for honest contracts to supply one of the best take care of every affected person. As for Sharpton, he recalled Dr. King’s last moments advocating for honest wages for metropolis employees, noting how this similar spirit applies to healthcare employees.
“Martin Luther King died in Memphis preventing for employees for rubbish employees, and I consider he would need these of us who are available in his custom to be standing with nurses,” he informed the gang on the rally, as detailed by NewsNation.
Regardless of the general public determine’s assist, the strike continues to make little headway as negotiations stay stalled. That very same day, the CEO of Mount Sinai Well being delivered an unlucky replace concerning the talks with NYSNA leaders.
“As of in the present day, regardless of our greatest efforts to barter, a near-term path to an settlement could be very unlikely,” wrote Mount Sinai CEO, Brendan Carr. Over the weekend, our operational groups prolonged our plans to run the Well being System with out the assist of the nurses, and NYSNA management has satisfied to strike.”
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