[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 87 (Thursday, June 29, 2006)]
[House]
[Page H4899]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      THE ACQUISITION OF THE PAPERS OF DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. I rise to inform the House of the happy 
news that the ``Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Collection,'' will be 
archived at Morehouse College, Dr. King's alma mater. The good news is 
that this collection, widely regarded by leading historians to be among 
the most important of the 20th century, will remain in Atlanta, 
Georgia, the city in which Dr. King was born and laid to his final 
rest.

  Valued at over $30 million, the King collection consists of more than 
20,000 square feet of notes, speech drafts, notebooks, canceled 
cheques, index cards, sermons, and other items obtained by local 
Atlanta businesses and philanthropists during a last-minute fundraiser. 
These items, rather than disappearing into private collections, will 
instead be housed at Morehouse College, an African American liberal 
arts college and Dr. King's alma mater.
  From a blue spiral notebook used in a prison cell to a very early 
draft of the ``I have a Dream'' speech, these papers reveal the voice, 
character, and spiritual tenacity that changed America and continues to 
inspire freedom-loving people around the world.
  Although many, many people worked to make this possible, special 
thanks are due Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin; Andrew Young, former 
U.N. Ambassador, Atlanta Mayor, and Member of Congress; and Mr. and 
Mrs. Kase and Eileen Lawal of Houston, Texas. Each of them gave 
generously of their time and talent and resources to secure the 
benefits of the Dr. King Collection for the public benefit. I hope they 
realize the beneficial impact their actions, in preserving for 
generations to come, access to the thought and ideas of one of the 
world's most consequential human beings. This is only the most recent 
example of their commitment to the causes for which Dr. King lived and 
died.
  I also wish to thank the children of Dr. King and Coretta Scott King: 
Martin III, Yolanda, Dexter, and Berneice. They shared their father and 
mother with the American people. They lost their father early. They 
have given the nation a lot. And now they have given the nation more: a 
treasure trove of history, consisting of more than 7,000 items that 
include theological writings, index cards with sketched sermon ideas, 
drafts of an address on being awarded the Nobel prize, and the draft of 
a eulogy Dr. King began upon learning of the assassination of John 
Kennedy. Additionally, this collection includes Dr. King's private 
library of books, most of which are annotated with extensive writing in 
the margins. The papers also include an early four-page draft of the 
most famous speech Dr. King delivered at the Lincoln Memorial in 1963.
  Dr. King, one of the giants of the last century, will be remembered 
for his tireless and ceaseless efforts to advance race relations, civil 
rights, social justice and human rights. We will always look to his 
words, and our memories, to renew our resolve to find justice and 
equality for all. Dr. King brought his vision and warmth into every 
room, and left it imprinted on our souls. His legacy requires us to 
continue in his stead, and pursue nothing less than true justice.

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