Martin Luther King Jr.'s family says 'we're tired of being patient,' urges Democrats to pass voting rights legislation

On Monday, the family of Martin Luther King Jr. threw its weight behind Democrats' efforts to pass voting rights legislation, giving speeches and interviews, and leading a march in Washington, DC, that drew hundreds of attendees.

Marchers braved the cold in the nation's capital to participate in the DC Peace Walk. King's descendants, including his son, Martin Luther King III, 13-year-old granddaughter, and daughter-in-law, held a banner that called on Congress to "Deliver for Voting Rights."

Lisa Bennatan is on January 17, 2022.

Martin Luther King III said that his mother always said the holiday should be a day on. We're not here to celebrate. We're here to stay.

King's family has been front and center in the push for voting rights bills, as Democrats have used Martin Luther King Jr. Day as an opportunity to push for voting rights. Both President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris spoke about their passage.
The descendants of Martin Luther King, Jr. led a voting rights march in Washington, DC.

Brian Stukes is a photographer.

In his own address, King III called on the Senate to pass two voting rights bills and warned that the democracy was on the verge of serious trouble without them.

King said that the president said last week that he was tired of being quiet about voting rights. We're tired of being patient.

CBS News reported on January 17, 2022.

The John Lewis Voting Rights Act and the Freedom to Vote Act are two voting rights bills that the Senate is considering. The bills have no Republican support and a vote on them would likely face a conservative filibuster.
King III called out the two Democratic senators who have vowed to oppose any effort to end the Senate filibuster. The senators believe that the tool that allows a minority party to block a vote will only make the chamber more partisan. Critics say they are slowing down the passage of vital legislation that protects voting rights.

King III said that if you can deliver an infrastructure bill for bridges, you can deliver voting rights for Americans. There is no bridge in this nation that can hold the weight of failure if you don't.

The King family was in the media this weekend. The legislation that was the cornerstone of King's legacy was not celebrated this year.

She told CBS News that there was no celebration without legislation.