Philadelphia icon, John White, Jr. says, "If Dr. King were still alive, he'd say We Still Have Work To Do"

By the time you read this column, the 95th birthday of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. has passed. His birthday was Monday, January 15, 2024, and it was a day of many celebrations and events in his honor all around the Delaware Valley and the nation.

- Thera Martin

Dr. King, beloved by so many, is still a figure to be reckoned with in the 21st century. During a recent interview with John White, Jr. on WURD radio, I asked him if he thought Dr. King would be pleased with the way in which African American elected officials have grown, from the 1960s until now, in Philadelphia.

John White Jr. is a former Philadelphia City Councilman representing the 9th Council District. Prior to that, he was a PA State Representative representing the Northwest section of Philadelphia. After a successful time in the City Council, White was tapped by the Bob Casey Administration to become the PA State Secretary of the Department of Public Welfare. Throughout his political career, before his political career, and after, John White Jr. is a living legend in Philadelphia, having touched so many lives in a positive way over the years.

Here’s some of what John White Jr. had to say as he reflected on African American politics in Philadelphia.

“My father was one of the founders of the Black Political Forum here in Philadelphia. That organization was created in the late 1960s to provide voter education and political education to our community. It was organized to inspire more people to participate in our electoral process. The organization was led by my father, John White, Sr., along with former Mayor Reverend Wilson Goode, PA State Senator Hardy Williams, Dr. George French, Bob Everly, and Pearl Sharpless. They were able to go out into the community and do voter registration and voter education. They would go to church groups and community organizations. They had little voting machines that they would bring out with them to help would-be voters practice, so they would be prepared for election day.“