|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Presidential Proclamation 2002 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
January 18, 2002
President Proclaims Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Federal Holiday
Martin Luther King, Jr., Federal Holiday, 2002
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Activities
For too brief a time, our Nation was blessed by the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King was a modern American hero whose leadership rallied people of all races to rise up against injustice.
His commitment to stand peacefully for the conviction that all men are created equal brought about changes in the laws of our Nation, and he paid the ultimate price for the courage he demonstrated in attempting to ensure that all men and women were treated equally in the eyes of the law and by their fellow citizens.
It is with a great sense of pride and gratitude that we celebrate this 17th national holiday in honor of Dr. King's life and work. Let us take this opportunity to recall his vision and renew his call for equal justice for all.
We enter this new year and this annual celebration with a revived national spirit. The events of September 11, 2001, have drawn us closer as a Nation and increased our resolve to protect the life and liberty we cherish.
And while our patriotism and neighborly affections run high, these circumstances have given us renewed purpose in rededicating ourselves to Dr. King's "dream."
As he said on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 1963: "I have a dream my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by content of their character."
Dr. King's words were not just a call to change our laws, but they also served as a challenge to all Americans to change their hearts by refusing to judge people by their skin color or their national origin, by their race or their religion.
For while we have made progress, there is much work to be done, both at home and abroad.
In the face of massive injustice, Dr. King's unwavering commitment to nonviolent means of bringing the people of our Nation together provided a foundation for healing and trust. That trust brought us through our recent tragedy as we reached out to each other without regard to race or religion.
Dr. King spent his life working for those who held the uncelebrated jobs in our communities -- people who simply performed their work with dignity and pride.
The words from his Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech of 1964, spoken about the workers in the freedom movement, still ring true for those men and women who unselfishly attempted to rescue innocent persons in the World Trade Center buildings and at the Pentagon.
Most of these people will never make the headlines and their names will not appear in Who's Who. Yet when years have rolled past and when the blazing light of truth is focused on this marvelous age in which we live -- men and women will know and children will be taught that we have a finer land, a better people, a more noble civilization -- because these humble children of God were willing to suffer for righteousness' sake.
We are so thankful for those "humble children of God," and we are thankful for the life and times of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. His abiding faith in America has helped us become a fairer and more colorblind society.
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 21, 2002, as the Martin Luther King, Jr., Federal Holiday.
I encourage Americans to observe this day with appropriate community programs, gatherings, and civic activities that honor the memory and the legacy of Dr. King.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this seventeenth day of January, in the year of our Lord two thousand two, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-sixth.
GEORGE W. BUSH
# # #
Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Activities
The White House- The First Lady will give remarks at the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Commemorative Service at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia on the morning of January 21, 2002.
- The White House will host the King family for a proclamation signing in the East Room on the afternoon of January 21, 2002.
- The White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives is working in concert with the Corporation for National and Community Service on their nation-wide volunteer programs around the country.
The CabinetDepartment of State- The Department of State hosted a Martin Luther King Jr. event on January 17, 2002 that featured a reading of the litany "Let My People Go."
Department of Commerce- Secretary Don Evans will host a Martin Luther King Jr. event on January 21, 2002, at the Department of Commerce.
Department of Education- Secretary Paige will participate in Mayor Anthony Williams' Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Celebration in Washington, DC, and join the President for the afternoon East Room event at the White House with the King Family.
Department of Housing and Urban Development- Secretary Martinez will participate in a Martin Luther King Jr. March in Memphis, Tennessee as well as a Martin Luther King Jr. event at the African American Museum in Memphis.
Department of Justice- Secretary Ashcroft held a Martin Luther King Jr. event at the Department of Justice on January 17, 2002.
Department of Health and Human Services- Secretary Thompson issued a Martin Luther King Jr. Proclamation and hosted an annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration in cooperation with the Departments of Education, FEMA and the Voice of America's International Broadcasting Bureau.
Agencies
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will host a Martin Luther King Jr. ceremony in Baltimore, Maryland.
The Federal Communications Commission will host a Reading of the Birmingham Jail letter on January 24, 2002 by television personality Paul Berry. Chairman Michael Powell will also make remarks.
The General Services Administration hosted a Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday event at GSA on Jan. 17, 2002; posters and photos will be displayed throughout the GSA building Jan. 15, - 25; and quotes from Dr. King will be included in daily GSA e-mail updates starting on Jan. 15, - Jan. 25th.
NASA hosted a Commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at NASA Godddard Headquarters. |
|
|
|
|
|
Home
