[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 10 (Thursday, January 18, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E137]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           OBSERVING THE BIRTHDAY OF MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

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                               speech of

                           HON. RAHM EMANUEL

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 16, 2007

  Mr. EMANUEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and memory 
of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Today we celebrate Martin 
Luther King, Jr. Day to remember a great American and civil rights 
leader, a man committed to uniting people and healing the wounds 
inflicted by injustice and segregation.
  Dr. King embodied the spirit of the civil rights movement of the 
1950s and 60s. As a teacher, a preacher, and a leader, he tuned his 
membership of the board of directors of the National Association for 
the Advancement of Colored People and his role with the Southern 
Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) to help shape the nonviolent 
philosophy of the movement.
  The 1956 Supreme Court decision declaring Alabama's segregation laws 
unconstitutional was one early victory in his fight for equality and 
justice. This victory had a tremendous personal cost for Dr. King, as 
he was arrested, threatened, and his house was bombed. Throughout these 
arduous times, Dr. King remained strong.
  In 1957, Dr. King helped found and became the leader of the Southern 
Christian Leadership Conference. This organization was formed to 
provide new leadership to the growing civil rights movement. Like Dr. 
King, the SCLC was committed to achieving its goals through nonviolent 
means.
  He further refined his philosophy of nonviolence during a journey to 
India in 1959. He saw nonviolent protest as the key to achieving his 
goals of racial equality and social justice in the face of a sometimes 
violent opposition.
  Despite the obstacles, Dr. King continued his struggle and spoke at 
the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. It was during this 
event that he delivered his famous ``I Have A Dream'' speech at the 
Lincoln Memorial, proclaiming: ``I have a dream, that one day this 
nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: `We 
hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.' 
''
  The following year, Dr. King saw his hard work come to fruition with 
passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. That same year, Dr. King was 
awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, becoming the youngest person awarded the 
Peace Prize at that time. He chose to donate the prize money he 
received to further the cause of the civil rights movement.
  Tragically, Dr. King's life was cut short on April 4, 1968 by a 
sniper's bullet. His stirring words from his speech at the Lincoln 
Memorial still echo today and provide us with a goal we all share, that 
our ``children will one day live in a nation where they will not be 
judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their 
character.''
  Madam Speaker, I urge everyone to remember and reflect on his words 
as we commemorate Dr. King's birthday and honor his tireless work in 
making America a country where the rights of all people are respected 
and protected.

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