MORRISTOWN, N.J. (Morris County) — Assemblywoman Aura K. Dunn used a keynote address at Morristown’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. observance breakfast to call for more civility in public life and greater citizen participation to strengthen democracy.
Dunn delivered the remarks Jan. 19, 2026, at the MLK Observance Committee Interfaith Breakfast at the Hyatt Regency in Morristown, reflecting on King’s legacy and what she said are current strains on American discourse.
“It is impossible to know what Dr. King would say if he were alive today, or if he were here in this room,” Dunn said. “But I don’t think he would struggle to find words.”
Dunn said she reread King’s “I Have a Dream” speech over the weekend and described hearing his “booming voice” and “moral clarity” as he addressed the March on Washington in 1963. She said progress has been made, but the work King described remains unfinished.
“Part of that dream has come to fruition,” Dunn said. “But as he made clear that day, it was only the beginning.”
Dunn said the nation remains deeply divided and argued that King would have “strong words about the state of our discourse,” citing what she called “the cruelty that poisons our public square,” “the sickening hatred that we see on social media,” and “the contemptible things some of our public officials say.”
“I believe he would ask us to turn down the volume, listen more, talk less, and work harder to make our democracy function as it should,” she said. “To seek peaceful ways to resolve our differences. More hope. Less hate. More civility. Less belligerence. More understanding. Less judgment.”
Dunn warned that when “democracy frays,” problems worsen and trust erodes, pointing to concerns including power being concentrated, decisions made “behind closed doors,” and citizens believing “their voices don’t matter.” She also cited a “growing epidemic of loneliness and isolation” and criticized short-term political decisions that she said leave the next generation with mounting challenges.
“We can argue. We can complain. But if that is all we do, these challenges will not disappear,” Dunn said. “They will become tomorrow’s crises, larger, harder and more costly to fix.”
Dunn urged residents to honor King’s legacy by engaging in civic life and insisting that public officials serve the common good.
“He taught us that democracy is not self-sustaining,” she said. “It requires participation. It demands moral courage.”
She also encouraged people to use modern tools and platforms responsibly, saying the internet has expanded the reach of individuals’ words and influence.
“With the tools now at our fingertips, it has never been easier to right a wrong; correct an injustice; advance a cause or lead a movement,” Dunn said. “Never has it been easier to be a source of inspiration or a role model in a country starving for leadership.”
Dunn closed by urging attendees to put King’s ideals into practice.
“That is how the dream is honored; not in words alone, but in the lives you lead,” she said. “Thank you.”
