In the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Youth for Human Rights educated Angelinos on their 30 rights at the nation’s biggest MLK Day parade.

On Monday, Los Angeles hosted the nation’s largest parade in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. A multiethnic team of volunteers from Youth for Human Rights joined the parade on Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard with the message of educating spectators on the human rights they are all entitled to.

The third Monday in January has been a national holiday since 1986, celebrating Dr. King’s legacy and fight for equal rights for all. What Dr. King was fighting for had actually been laid out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations in 1948. Even though this document was ratified 71 years ago, it does not hold the force of law.

In modern-day life, human rights such as “no slavery” and “no discrimination” are hot topics. The International Labor Organization estimates 40.3 million people live in modern slavery. This figure includes some 24.9 million in forced labor and 15.4 million in forced marriages. More than 7,000 were victims of hate crimes in the United States last year.

Youth for Human Rights, through sponsorship of the Church of Scientology, marched in the parade with a truck displaying quotes of MLK Jr. and screening public service announcements illustrating the articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights including one that featured Dr. King.

Youth for Human Rights volunteers walked in front of the truck accompanied by a marching drum corps. They carried signs displaying the articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. They reached 80,000 people with their universal message of human rights.

“I saw your booklet and the question on the cover really intrigued me,” said one spectator. “What are Human Rights? I really want to read that booklet to know more about it.”

“There are so many injustices in the world. No matter what religion, ethnicity, gender you are, you have basic human rights” said Callahandra Edison, youth president for Youth for Human Rights of California.

 

In 1969, Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard wrote, “Very few governments have implemented any part of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. These governments have not grasped that their very survival depends utterly upon adopting such reforms and thus giving their peoples a cause, a civilization worth supporting, worth their patriotism.”

The Church of Scientology and Scientologists support Youth for Human Rights and make its educational materials available free of charge. Watch a documentary on the history and activities of Youth for Human Rights International on Voices for Humanity on the Scientology Network.