This weekend, the AFL-CIO will host the 2024 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Civil and Human Rights Conference in Montgomery.

The theme of the conference is “Our Voice, Our Vote, Our Future,” which the AFL-CIO says will honor “Dr. Dr. King's vision for collective action at the polls, in our communities, and in our workplaces to protect the pillars of our democracy. ” The conference will be located at the Renaissance Montgomery Hotel & Spa in the Convention Center.

The conference will run from Friday, January 12th to Sunday, January 14th, with each day focusing on a different part of the theme. Friday will explore the “Our Voices” portion of the conference, beginning at 10 a.m. with opening remarks from AFL-CIO President Elizabeth Schuler and AFL-CIO Treasurer Fred Redmond. Advocacy and collective action will be discussed in several workshops throughout the day.

Saturday will focus on “Our Vote,” with panels discussing legislative and election issues and how workers can participate to win at the polls. Former U.S. Senator Doug Jones will also be a special guest speaker. And on Sunday, the conference will conclude with an awards ceremony themed “Our Future” at 7:30 p.m.

Many activists, union members, organizers and faith leaders will be present during the conference. In addition to Mr. Jones, Mr. Schuler and Mr. Redmond, several other notable guests will be attending the conference. This includes Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su, Sen. LaFonza Butler and Mr. Montgomery. Mayor Stephen Reed, Rhode Island State Senator Sandra Cano; Rep. Laura Hall, Alabama-Illinois House Speaker Emmanuel “Chris” Welch, Mi Familia Vota President and CEO Hector Sánchez Barba, Bishop Leah Daughtry, and SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director Duncan Crabtree Ireland.

Montgomery is also named in a lawsuit alleging human rights violations against incarcerated people for his role in exploiting prison workers through the Alabama Department of Corrections work center program. I should probably leave it there. The lawsuit was brought by incarcerated people, as well as several labor unions and advocacy groups. Although the AFL-CIO is not a party to the lawsuit, Redmond said the complaint is a good first step toward potentially ending “forced labor.”