[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 41 (Tuesday, April 4, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E499]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   TRIBUTE TO DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. PETER J. VISCLOSKY

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, April 4, 2006

  Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Dr. Martin Luther 
King, Jr., on the tragic anniversary of his assassination. In the 38 
years since his untimely death, Dr. King and his work for civil rights 
has remained an inspiration to thos committed to liberty and freedom 
throughout the world.
  While today marks a sad day in American history, it is my hope that 
as a nation, we will continue to reflect on the actions and 
accomplishments of Dr. King. It is my hope that we will celebrate his 
life and learn from his legacy.
  Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was born on January 15, 1929. He received 
a Bachelor of Arts from Morehouse College in 1948, a Bachelor of 
Divinity degree in 1951, and a Ph.D. in Systematic Theology from Boston 
University. Throughout his education, Dr. King was involved in civil 
rights, and in 1955, he led the historic Montgomery Bus Boycott that 
began after Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white man. 
After the Montgomery Bus Boycott launched a national civil rights 
campaign, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. helped form the Southern 
Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in 1957. Dr. King led the SCLC 
as it promoted, organized, and conducted nonviolent protests in the 
name of fairness and equality.
  The nonviolent manner in which Dr. King fought for fundamental 
freedoms such as the right to vote and desegregation has had a lasting 
impact on this country. Perhaps the greatest example of Dr. King's 
leadership and impact on this country is his ``I Have a Dream'' speech, 
which he gave in front of the Lincoln Memorial during the March on 
Washington in 1963, where he talked about his four children living in a 
nation where they would not be judged by the color of their skin, but 
by the content of their character.
  In 1968 Dr. King set out for Memphis to support a sanitation strike 
that called for higher wages and better treatment. Days later, on April 
4, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated.
  After his death, the country mourned the loss of our greatest modern-
day civil rights pioneer. To this day, Dr. King's work, message, and 
legacy remain imprinted on the minds of those who carry on his noble 
cause.
  Mr. Speaker, today may be the anniversary of the death of one of our 
Nation's greatest citizens, but I also hope it is day on which we can 
reflect on the positive changes that were set in motion due to Dr. 
King's work. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. raised the consciousness of 
America; he made our nation re-examine our commitment to freedom and 
liberty, and he did so with a message of peace and non-violence. I 
speak for all Americans today as we honor a great man.

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