Martin Luther King, Jr., Federal Holiday, 2007
A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America
On the Martin Luther King, Jr., Federal Holiday, Americans honor the
memory of a man who stirred the conscience of a Nation. We also recommit
ourselves to the dream to which Dr. King devoted his life an America
where the dignity of every person is respected; where people are judged
not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character;
and where the hope of a better tomorrow is in every neighborhood.
When Martin Luther King, Jr., came to our Nation's Capital in the
summer of 1963, he came to inspire America and to call on our citizens
to live up to the principles of our founding. His dream spread a message
of hope, justice, and brotherhood that took hold in the hearts of men
and women across our great land, and it continues to speak to millions
here at home and around the world.
We honor Martin Luther King, Jr., and remember his strength of
character and his leadership. We also remember the work that still
remains. America has come a long way since Dr. King's time, yet our
journey to justice is not complete. There is still a need for all
Americans to hear the power and hope of Dr. King's enduring words so
that we can hasten the day when his dream is made real. Last year, I was
proud to sign the "Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, and Coretta Scott King
Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006." This Act
renewed the 1965 bill that reaffirmed our belief that all men are
created equal, broke the segregationist lock on the ballot box, and
helped bring an excluded community into the center of American
democracy. Our Nation will continue to build on the legal equality
championed by Dr. King and all the heroes of the civil rights movement,
and we will continue our work to protect the promise of our Declaration
and guarantee the rights of every citizen.
As we observe Dr. King's birthday, let us honor his legacy and go
forward with confidence as a Nation united, committed to destroying
discrimination, and dedicated to extending the full blessings of liberty
and opportunity to all Americans.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of
America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and
laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim Monday, January 15, 2007,
as the Martin Luther King, Jr., Federal Holiday. I encourage all
Americans to observe this special day with appropriate civic, community,
and service programs and activities in honor of Dr. King's life and
legacy.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this eleventh day of
January, in the year of our Lord two thousand seven, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and
thirty-first.
GEORGE W. BUSH
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