[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 6 (Wednesday, January 20, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H214-H220]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CELEBRATING 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF SONG TRIBUTE TO DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING,
JR.
Mr. CONYERS. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to
the resolution (H. Res. 1010) celebrating the life and work of Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. during the 30th anniversary of the Stevie
Wonder song tribute to Dr.
[[Page H215]]
King, ``Happy Birthday,'' and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The text of the resolution is as follows:
H. Res. 1010
Whereas the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
was properly captured in Dr. King's most famed speech, ``I
Have A Dream'', on August 28, 1963, when he said, ``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' '';
Whereas beginning with the Montgomery Bus Boycott on
December 1, 1955, Dr. King led protests, demonstrations,
rallies, freedom rides, sit-ins, vigils, all in non-violent
fashion, to combat hate, inequality, and racial injustice in
the United States;
Whereas following the end of the Montgomery Bus Boycott in
1956, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and others, including Dr.
Ralph Abernathy, formed the Southern Christian Leadership
Conference (SCLC) in 1957 to promote civil rights and to
bring an absolute and nonviolent end to segregation;
Whereas the efforts of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and
those that joined him in the civil rights movement resulted
in the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting
Rights Act of 1965, and the Fair Housing Act of 1968;
Whereas several U.S. Supreme Court cases decided during the
era of the civil rights movement, like Browder v. Gayle (352
U.S. 903 (1956)), Boynton v. Virginia (364 U.S. 454 (1960)),
and Heart of Atlanta Motel Inc. v. United States (379 U.S.
241 (1964)) were consistent with the work of Dr. King and
others to eradicate segregation and discrimination and deem
such practices unconstitutional;
Whereas Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. received the Spingarn
Medal in 1957 and the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, distinctions
that were given to him at the young ages of 28 and 35,
respectively, for the selflessness and dedication he
exhibited in advancing civil rights;
Whereas the life and work of Dr. King, to advance justice,
equality, and peace for the entire human race, ended
prematurely, when he was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in
Memphis, Tennessee, while challenging the inequitable wages
and treatment of Memphis sanitation workers;
Whereas Martin Luther King, Jr., was survived by Coretta
Scott King, an activist in her own right, and 4 children, 2
sons and 2 daughters, who would also continue the fight for
civil rights and equality;
Whereas 4 days after the assassination of Dr. King, on
April 8, 1968, Representative John Conyers, Jr. introduced
legislation to recognize Dr. King with a Federal holiday that
coincided with the great civil rights leader's birthday,
January 15, 1929;
Whereas the campaign to secure a Federal holiday in honor
of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. lasted 15 years, with the 1980
Stevie Wonder song tribute to Dr. King, ``Happy Birthday'',
solidifying the campaign's success;
Whereas Stevie Wonder dedicated his album sleeve for
``Hotter Than July'', an album released on September 29,
1980, and upon which ``Happy Birthday'' is recorded, to Dr.
King, with an inscription that read, ``[Martin Luther King,
Jr.] showed us, non-violently, a better way of life, a way of
mutual respect, helping us to avoid much bitter confrontation
and inevitable bloodshed'';
Whereas Mr. Wonder also wrote on his album sleeve for
``Hotter Than July'' the following, ``We still have a long
road to travel until we reach the world that was [Dr. King's]
dream. We in the United States must not forget either his
supreme sacrifice or that dream'';
Whereas Stevie Wonder encouraged the establishment of a
Federal holiday in recognition of Dr. King on his album
sleeve for ``Hotter Than July'' by expressing that, ``I and a
growing number of people believe that it is time for our
country to adopt legislation that will make January 15,
Martin Luther King's birthday, a national holiday, both in
recognition of what he achieved and as a reminder of the
distance which still has to be traveled'';
Whereas the song, ``Happy Birthday'', became a rallying
cry, which led to the collection of 6,000,000 signatures in
support of a Federal holiday in honor of Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr., which Stevie Wonder and Coretta Scott King
presented to Congressional Leadership in 1982;
Whereas ultimate enactment of legislation designating the
third Monday of January as a Federal holiday in observance of
Dr. Marin Luther King, Jr. was realized on November 3, 1983,
when such legislation was signed into law;
Whereas the first Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Federal
holiday was observed on January 20, 1986, and celebrated with
a concert headlined by Stevie Wonder, who has, in the years
since, continued his commitment to promoting peace and
equality, for which he has been recognized with a Lifetime
Achievement Award from the National Civil Rights Museum in
Memphis, Tennessee;
Whereas the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is
continued today, as evidenced by the work of organizations
like the National Association for the Advancement of Colored
People (NAACP) and the Southern Christian Leadership
Conference, which is currently led by Dr. King's daughter,
Bernice King, and was at one time led by Dr. King's son,
Martin Luther King, III;
Whereas today, the very mission of the Southern Christian
Leadership Conference states, ``In the spirit of Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr., the Southern Christian Leadership
Conference (SCLC) is renewing its commitment to bring about
the promise of `one nation, under God, indivisible' together
with the commitment to activate the `strength to love' within
the community of humankind''; and
Whereas in addition to organizations, the legacy of Dr.
King continues on today with people in the United States and
throughout the world, with individual acts of compassion,
courage, and peace: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) celebrates the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King,
Jr. during the 30th anniversary of the Stevie Wonder song
tribute to Dr. King, ``Happy Birthday'';
(2) recognizes that the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King,
Jr. continues on with commitments to freedom, equality, and
justice, as exhibited by Stevie Wonder and so many others;
and
(3) encourages the people of the United States to
commemorate the legacy of Dr. King by renewing pledges to
advance those principles and actions that are consistent with
Dr. King's belief that ``all men are created equal''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Michigan (Mr. Conyers) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Smith) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Michigan.
General Leave
Mr. CONYERS. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include
extraneous material.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Michigan?
There was no objection.
Mr. CONYERS. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker and Members, I have been doing this for quite a number
of years now, and I asked my chief of staff how many years specifically
it's been. But we're here again with the ranking member, Lamar Smith;
with John Lewis, the last remaining King disciple that worked with Dr.
King longer than any of us. Today, we rise to salute not only Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr., but also recalling those days when we were
marching for a King holiday. We salute Dr. King and Stevie Wonder for
the wonderful inspiration he gave us all with his musical tribute to
Dr. King, ``Happy Birthday.''
On Monday, we observed for the 25th year the Federal Martin Luther
King, Jr., holiday bill that started off 3 days after his assassination
when I made this proposal. It also coincides with the 30th anniversary
of Stevie Wonder's 1980 song tribute to Dr. King. Stevie's song became
the rallying cry for those fighting for a holiday for Martin Luther
King, Jr. He was one of our greatest advocates.
I just wanted to recall--I don't know if John Lewis remembers--the
day at that march we got a call from the White House and they wanted
Stevie Wonder to come to the White House. Stevie Wonder said, Well, how
come they haven't invited you to come to the White House instead of me?
I said, Stevie, that doesn't matter. They want you, and this is what we
have been marching for. So you come to the White House. He said, No,
I'm not going. And we went back and forth. Finally, he didn't come.
But later, shortly thereafter, we began the negotiations with Jack
Kemp of New York, with the Republicans in the White House, and this
agreement was struck: That if the House and the Senate could pass a
King holiday bill, the President would sign it into law. We felt we
could get it through the House, but the other body was another story
entirely. Finally, it did happen.
I don't know if you remember the day that Coretta Scott King and all
the kids, and Abernathy, Lowery, Julian Bond, we were all over in the
other body and the speeches went on and on. Everybody was acclaiming
King. You'd have thought he was a native son of all the speakers. It
finally ended. They had far more time to consume than we did. A
reporter asked me, What took you so long? Everybody seemed to have been
for this bill all the time. Of course, I resisted losing my nonviolent
disposition to respond to him, because
[[Page H216]]
it took 15 years before that bill was finally taken up by the body. But
it was because of the people, it was because of the spirit of the
people in the public schools and the city councils, the counties. And
the States even passed resolutions for us to do that.
{time} 1245
Finally, the pressure built up so much throughout the country that we
finally had the bill passed in the other body. The President then, true
to his word, signed the bill. It was a great moment in history. I am
still proud to say that we seriously honor King with this third Monday
of every January. I will put the rest of my remarks in the Record.
House Resolution 1010 celebrates the work of Dr. Martin Luther King
Jr., and salutes Stevie Wonder for his song tribute to Dr. King,
``Happy Birthday.''
On Monday, we observed, for the 27th year, the Federal Martin Luther
King Jr. Holiday. This particular commemoration of the King holiday
coincides with the 30th anniversary of Stevie Wonder's 1980 song
tribute to Dr. King.
Stevie Wonder's song became the rallying cry for those fighting for a
Martin Luther King, Jr. Federal holiday, and he proved to be one of the
holiday's greatest advocates.
And so, 30 years later, it is fitting that we consider a resolution
both honoring Dr. King and saluting Stevie Wonder.
Today, I would like to touch on three significant points. First,
having just observed the King Holiday, we are reminded of the more
equal and just society that we live in today as a result of Dr. King's
life work.
Dr. King's struggle led to the enactment of the 1964 Civil Rights
Act, the 1965 Voting Rights Act, and the 1968 Fair Housing Act. From
buses to motels, his work brought an end to state-sanctioned
segregation and discrimination in public accommodations that were the
hallmark of the Jim Crow system.
Personally, and I'm sure like many, I pursue my own life's work in
the spirit of Dr. King.
When I first ran to represent the 14th Congressional District of
Michigan in 1963, it was with the endorsement of Dr. King that I won.
It was through Dr. King that I got to know Rosa Parks, the mother of
the Civil Rights Movement, who would work in my Detroit office for over
20 years.
On my second point, despite the great contributions Dr. King made,
the pursuit of a Federal holiday in Dr. King's honor was long fought.
Significantly, it was Stevie Wonder's song tribute to Dr. King,
``Happy Birthday,'' that played a large role in galvanizing public
support for a Federal holiday.
Just four days after the assassination of Dr. King, on April 8, 1968,
I introduced legislation to observe the life and work of Dr. King with
a Federal holiday. Until it became law in 1983, there was a persistent
legislative drive for the King Holiday.
Stevie Wonder was one of the leading advocates at the helm during
this fight. On September 29, 1980, he released the album, ``Hotter than
July,'' containing a song he wrote in honor of Dr. King ``Happy
Birthday.''
Mr. Wonder dedicated the album sleeve for ``Hotter than July'' to Dr.
King with an inscription, and also encouraged the establishment of a
Federal holiday in recognition of Dr. King.
Right on the album cover, he wrote, ``I and a growing number of
people believe that it is time for our country to adopt King Holiday
legislation, both in recognition of what he achieved and as a reminder
of the distance which still has to be traveled.''
That growing number of people equated to 6 million signatures in
support of the King Holiday, which Stevie Wonder and Coretta Scott King
presented to Congress in 1982.
On the 15th anniversary of Dr. King's assassination, and the 20th
anniversary of the March on Washington, Congress passed King Holiday
legislation in 1983, with a vote of 338 to 90 in the House and a vote
of 78 to 22 in the Senate. That November, it was signed into law.
At the first King Holiday observance, on January 20, 1986, Stevie
Wonder headlined a concert in honor of Dr. King. And his commitment to
advance the King legacy did not stop there.
Stevie Wonder has gone on to address such social and racial ills as
apartheid in South Africa, hunger in Africa, and HIV/AIDS. In fact, his
musical and social contributions are so significant that I feel Stevie
Wonder is deserving of a Congressional Gold Medal.
Finally, we must continue the legacy of Dr. King--not just on the
third Monday in January each year, but every day. It is each and every
day that we should work to advance the ``Beloved Community'' that Dr.
King envisioned.
Dr. King said, ``Life's most urgent and persistent question is: What
are you doing for others?'' Let us ask ourselves this question, and
act; and not just today, but every day.
I would like to commend my colleague, the gentleman from Georgia,
John Lewis, for joining me in introducing this bipartisan resolution.
I would also like to acknowledge the many Members of the Judiciary
Committee that join us in supporting this resolution--in particular,
the gentleman from Texas, our Ranking Member, Lamar Smith.
I urge my colleagues to support this important resolution.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SMITH of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
I support House Resolution 1010. This resolution celebrates the life
and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It also celebrates the 30th
anniversary of the release of Stevie Wonder's song tribute to Dr. King
entitled ``Happy Birthday.'' Dr. King was the leading champion of a
historic nonviolent revolution in the United States. Throughout his
life, he fought for racial harmony and equal justice. While advancing
this historic movement, Dr. King endured many forms of hatred and even
suffered physical abuse. Despite this violence, Dr. King peacefully
continued to pursue justice and equality for all.
As a pastor, Dr. King's religious beliefs were essential to the
success of his nonviolent efforts. It is doubtful that such a long and
enduring movement could have survived without the power of religious
inspiration and conviction behind it. From 1957 to 1968, Dr. King
traveled over 6 million miles and spoke thousands of times about
justice and equal freedom under the law. During those years, he led
large protests that drew the attention of the world.
On August 28, 1963, Dr. King led a peaceful march of 250,000 people
through the streets of Washington, D.C.; and it is here in this city
where he delivered a speech that spoke for all Americans, regardless of
the color of their skin. ``I have a dream,'' he said, ``that 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 the content of their
character.''
Dr. King opened the door of opportunity for millions of Americans. In
his ``I Have a Dream'' speech, Dr. King called the march the ``greatest
demonstration for freedom in the history of our Nation.'' Four days
after the assassination of Dr. King, Representative John Conyers, now
our Judiciary Committee chairman and the cosponsor of the resolution we
are now considering, introduced legislation to recognize Dr. King's
life's work with a Federal holiday that coincided with Dr. King's
birthday, January 15.
Madam Speaker, I just want to say today that I think Chairman Conyers
has been too modest about his significant role in establishing that
holiday. In 1980, Stevie Wonder released his song tribute to Dr. King
called ``Happy Birthday'' to bring attention to the movement to enact a
Federal holiday in honor of Dr. King. Stevie Wonder sang that Dr.
King's vision of peace should be celebrated throughout the world and
that a holiday would help achieve Dr. King's dreams of integration and
love and unity for all of God's children. On November 3, 1983,
legislation was signed into law, designating the third Monday of
January as a Federal holiday in observance of Dr. King.
Madam Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support this resolution,
and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. CONYERS. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend Lamar Smith for his
significant contribution and his work as a co-leader on the Judiciary
Committee for all the other things that we work on as well.
I now yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Georgia
(Mr. Lewis), a gentleman whom I knew before he was a Member of
Congress, and he knew me before I was a Member of Congress as well.
Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the
life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and to celebrate the 30th
anniversary of Stevie Wonder's song ``Happy Birthday.'' That song was
such a fitting tribute to Dr. King and a rallying cry to create the Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday that we celebrated last weekend and on
Monday.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was my friend. He was my big brother. He
was a prophet, and he was my hero. And above all, he was a simple human
being filled with love, peace, and compassion for all humankind. Madam
Speaker, I want to take the opportunity to thank my colleague, the
chairman, Mr. Conyers, for the great and unbelievable role that you
have played in making
[[Page H217]]
this holiday possible. When the historians pick up that pen and write
about this period, they would have to write that you, John Conyers,
paved the way to make it possible for people all over America and
around the world to stop and celebrate the work of Martin Luther King,
Jr.
We, as a Congress, as a Nation, and as a people are deeply indebted
to you; and we will never, ever forget the role that you played. Stevie
Wonder's song reminds us that there is a better way: the way of love,
the way of nonviolence. Mr. Chairman, John Conyers, you never gave up.
You never gave in. You and Stevie Wonder kept the faith, and you kept
your eyes on the prize. Out of Detroit, out of that unbelievable city,
you had the right stuff, the good stuff.
The King holiday is a day of reflection. We all took time to reflect
on the legacy of this man who, through his love and his leadership,
made our country a better place. It also becomes a day of service. Dr.
King preached a doctrine of nonviolence and civil disobedience to
combat segregation, discrimination, and racial injustice. Stevie
Wonder's song 30 years later still reminds us that we have come a
distance, but we still have a long road to travel until we reach the
world that was Dr. King's dream.
So it is fitting and appropriate that we pause as a Nation and as a
people to remember the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. And through
the music, through the song, ``Happy Birthday'' by Stevie Wonder, we
all continue to be inspired, as Dr. King inspired a Nation and changed
America forever.
Madam Speaker, we all spent some time in reflection this weekend and
on Monday, but today we encourage all citizens to try to live the
teachings of Dr. King. Our Nation will move us closer to Dr. King's
dream of creating the beloved community, a community of justice based
on human dignity and at peace with itself.
Again, I thank Chairman Conyers for his work and for bringing this
piece of legislation before us today.
Mr. SMITH of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may
consume to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Wamp).
Mr. WAMP. Madam Speaker, I did not prepare or plan to speak on this
resolution, but I saw my friend John Lewis on the floor. I went 2 days
ago, on this year's M.L. King Day, and I was moved beyond measure to
stand on the very spot where Dr. King lost his life, the National Civil
Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee, at the Lorraine Motel, to tour
there and spend a couple of hours. It is an extraordinary museum, an
extraordinary place. I would encourage all Americans to go see that, to
experience it much more than I had ever dreamed. I had not been there.
Even though I'm a Tennessean, even though I feel like, as an American
who believes in equality and justice, I feel like a sojourner with my
friend John Lewis, as the cosponsor with Lacy Clay of the Civil Rights
Trail legislation which is pending before this House; cosponsor with
Jesse Jackson Jr. of the naming of Emancipation Hall; cosponsor with
John Lewis of the Green McAdoo legislation in Tennessee, recognizing
the Clinton 12 and the bravery on the road that we're on.
But to me, Martin Luther King Day is all about equality and justice,
the traits of our great Nation that we hold so dear. That process and
that journey is not complete. It is not over. We all know it. But great
strides have been made, including the election of our President, a
crowning achievement in this movement. But I was so moved by how a
single bullet from across the street, and I went there as well, changed
history but also how at that moment so many things began to happen.
Now Dr. King even knew somehow in his heart, heading into that
moment, that it was going to happen. I never realized the depth of that
until I went there for 2 hours. A powerful, powerful way to celebrate
this progress, this man and this part of our history is to go there.
And of course John Lewis is all over it. You thank Chairman Conyers.
Man, do I ever want to thank you, brother, for your life, for your
courage, for the youth movement, for the freedom rides, for all that
you have been involved in, for your book, for your legacy, for your
service. John Lewis, a great American.
Obviously, I don't always agree with you, but I respect you
immensely. Thank you for how far you have brought us and for all the
people who invested their lives in the civil rights movement. Thank you
from all of us, from everywhere for the progress that has been made.
It's so very important that we continue to fight for equality and
justice for all. That's what people from around the world look to our
country in amazement about. Our national character is not born out of
our greatness and our power and our tall buildings and our military
might. It's born out of our character which comes from lessons learned
and wrongs made right. That's this journey that we're on. And to all
that have given blood and have sacrificed mightily, the United States
of America honors you in honoring Dr. King in his legacy.
In many ways, he may have had to give his life to see these things
happen, and that's why we honor the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Mr. CONYERS. Madam Speaker, I just want to tell our colleague from
Tennessee, Mr. Zach Wamp, that that was the most amazing recapitulation
of what happens to people when they go and trace these incredible
moments in history that many of us have lived through. I particularly
appreciate his recollection and his feelings and how they have impacted
on his work here in the Congress. I just wanted to thank him for that
myself.
And for all of our colleagues, many of whom are submitting
statements, I'm going to put into the Record the remarks of President
Obama on January 17 as he recalled that day of celebrating the life and
legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., and the article in Politico that
also recapitulated the history of the struggle that King led, which is
not over.
And although the raw violence that accompanied that struggle in those
days--remember, the men, women and children who were in the struggle
were risking their lives. This wasn't a philosophical discussion or a
theoretical examination of where they were in history. This was an
unbelievably brutal period of our history.
{time} 1300
We recall that not in bitterness, but in honest reflection. I
remember the trilogy written on King. Taylor Branch wrote three volumes
on King, and I recommend it strongly to anybody who wants to read it.
There have been many, many other records of this part of our history,
but to John Lewis and me, Taylor Branch seemed to capture it with the
detail and passion that few others were able to summon up.
[From the White House, Jan. 17, 2010]
Remarks by the President in Remembrance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. Praise be to God. Let me begin
by thanking the entire Vermont Avenue Baptist Church family
for welcoming our family here today. It feels like a family.
Thank you for making us feel that way. (Applause.) To Pastor
Wheeler, first lady Wheeler, thank you so much for welcoming
us here today. Congratulations on Jordan Denice--aka
Cornelia. (Laughter.)
Michelle and I have been blessed with a new nephew this
year as well--Austin Lucas Robinson. (Applause.) So maybe at
the appropriate time we can make introductions. (Laughter.)
Now, if Jordan's father is like me, then that will be in
about 30 years. (Laughter.) That is a great blessing.
Michelle and Malia and Sasha and I are thrilled to be here
today. And I know that sometimes you have to go through a
little fuss to have me as a guest speaker. (Laughter.) So let
me apologize in advance for all the fuss.
We gather here, on a Sabbath, during a time of profound
difficulty for our nation and for our world. In such a time,
it soothes the soul to seek out the Divine in a spirit of
prayer; to seek solace among a community of believers. But we
are not here just to ask the Lord for His blessing. We aren't
here just to interpret His Scripture. We're also here to call
on the memory of one of His noble servants, the Reverend Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Now, it's fitting that we do so here, within the four walls
of Vermont Avenue Baptist Church--here, in a church that rose
like the phoenix from the ashes of the civil war; here in a
church formed by freed slaves, whose founding pastor had worn
the union blue; here in a church from whose pews congregants
set out for marches and from whom choir anthems of freedom
were heard; from whose sanctuary King himself would sermonize
from time to time.
One of those times was Thursday, December 6, 1956. Pastor,
you said you were a little older than me, so were you around
at that point? (Laughter.) You were three years old--okay.
(Laughter.) I wasn't born yet. (Laughter.)
[[Page H218]]
On Thursday, December 6, 1956. And before Dr. King had
pointed us to the mountaintop, before he told us about his
dream in front of the Lincoln Memorial, King came here, as a
27-year-old preacher, to speak on what he called ``The
Challenge of a New Age.'' ``The Challenge of a New Age.'' It
was a period of triumph, but also uncertainty, for Dr. King
and his followers--because just weeks earlier, the Supreme
Court had ordered the desegregation of Montgomery's buses, a
hard-wrought, hard-fought victory that would put an end to
the 381-day historic boycott down in Montgomery, Alabama.
And yet, as Dr. King rose to take that pulpit, the future
still seemed daunting. It wasn't clear what would come next
for the movement that Dr. King led. It wasn't clear how we
were going to reach the Promised Land. Because segregation
was still rife; lynchings still a fact. Yes, the Supreme
Court had ruled not only on the Montgomery buses, but also on
Brown v. Board of Education. And yet that ruling was defied
throughout the South--by schools and by States; they ignored
it with impunity. And here in the Nation's capital, the
Federal Government had yet to fully align itself with the
laws on its books and the ideals of its founding.
So it's not hard for us, then, to imagine that moment. We
can imagine folks coming to this church, happy about the
boycott being over. We can also imagine them, though, coming
here concerned about their future, sometimes second-guessing
strategy, maybe fighting off some creeping doubts, perhaps
despairing about whether the movement in which they had
placed so many of their hopes--a movement in which they
believed so deeply--could actually deliver on its promise.
So here we are, more than half a century later, once again
facing the challenges of a new age. Here we are, once more
marching toward an unknown future, what I call the Joshua
generation to their Moses generation--the great inheritors of
progress paid for with sweat and blood, and sometimes life
itself.
We've inherited the progress of unjust laws that are now
overturned. We take for granted the progress of a ballot
being available to anybody who wants to take the time to
actually vote. We enjoy the fruits of prejudice and bigotry
being lifted--slowly, sometimes in fits and starts, but
irrevocably--from human hearts. It's that progress that made
it possible for me to be here today; for the good people of
this country to elect an African American the 44th President
of the United States of America.
Reverend Wheeler mentioned the inauguration, last year's
election. You know, on the heels of that victory over a year
ago, there were some who suggested that somehow we had
entered into a post-racial America, all those problems would
be solved. There were those who argued that because I had
spoke of a need for unity in this country that our nation was
somehow entering into a period of post partisanship. That
didn't work out so well. There was a hope shared by many that
life would be better from the moment that I swore that oath.
Of course, as we meet here today, one year later, we know
the promise of that moment has not yet been fully fulfilled.
Because of an era of greed and irresponsibility that sowed
the seeds of its own demise, because of persistent economic
troubles unaddressed through the generations, because of a
banking crisis that brought the financial system to the brink
of catastrophe, we are being tested--in our own lives and as
a nation--as few have been tested before.
Unemployment is at its highest level in more than a quarter
of a century. Nowhere is it higher than the African American
community. Poverty is on the rise. Home ownership is
slipping. Beyond our shores, our sons and daughters are
fighting two wars. Closer to home, our Haitian brothers and
sisters are in desperate need. Bruised, battered, many people
are legitimately feeling doubt, even despair, about the
future. Like those who came to this church on that Thursday
in 1956, folks are wondering, where do we go from here?
I understand those feelings. I understand the frustration
and sometimes anger that so many folks feel as they struggle
to stay afloat. I get letters from folks around the country
every day; I read 10 a night out of the 40,000 that we
receive. And there are stories of hardship and desperation,
in some cases, pleading for help: I need a job. I'm about
to lose my home. I don't have health care--it's about to
cause my family to be bankrupt. Sometimes you get letters
from children: My mama or my daddy have lost their jobs,
is there something you can do to help? Ten letters like
that a day we read.
So, yes, we're passing through a hard winter. It's the
hardest in some time. But let's always remember that, as a
people, the American people, we've weathered some hard
winters before. This country was founded during some harsh
winters. The fishermen, the laborers, the craftsmen who made
camp at Valley Forge--they weathered a hard winter. The
slaves and the freedmen who rode an underground railroad,
seeking the light of justice under the cover of night--they
weathered a hard winter. The seamstress whose feet were
tired, the pastor whose voice echoes through the ages--they
weathered some hard winters. It was for them, as it is for
us, difficult, in the dead of winter, to sometimes see spring
coming. They, too, sometimes felt their hopes deflate. And
yet, each season, the frost melts, the cold recedes, the sun
reappears. So it was for earlier generations and so it will
be for us.
What we need to do is to just ask what lessons we can learn
from those earlier generations about how they sustained
themselves during those hard winters, how they persevered and
prevailed. Let us in this Joshua generation learn how that
Moses generation overcame.
Let me offer a few thoughts on this. First and foremost,
they did so by remaining firm in their resolve. Despite being
threatened by sniper fire or planted bombs, by shoving and
punching and spitting and angry stares, they adhered to that
sweet spirit of resistance, the principles of nonviolence
that had accounted for their success.
Second, they understood that as much as our Government and
our political parties had betrayed them in the past--as much
as our nation itself had betrayed its own ideals--Government,
if aligned with the interests of its people, can be--and must
be--a force for good. So they stayed on the Justice
Department. They went into the courts. They pressured
Congress, they pressured their President. They didn't give up
on this country. They didn't give up on Government. They
didn't somehow say Government was the problem; they said,
we're going to change Government, we're going to make it
better. Imperfect as it was, they continued to believe in the
promise of democracy; in America's constant ability to remake
itself, to perfect this union.
Third, our predecessors were never so consumed with
theoretical debates that they couldn't see progress when it
came. Sometimes I get a little frustrated when folks just
don't want to see that even if we don't get everything, we're
getting something. (Applause.) King understood that the
desegregation of the Armed Forces didn't end the civil rights
movement, because black and white soldiers still couldn't sit
together at the same lunch counter when they came home. But
he still insisted on the rightness of desegregating the Armed
Forces. That was a good first step--even as he called for
more. He didn't suggest that somehow by the signing of the
Civil Rights that somehow all discrimination would end. But
he also didn't think that we shouldn't sign the Civil Rights
Act because it hasn't solved every problem. Let's take a
victory, he said, and then keep on marching. Forward steps,
large and small, were recognized for what they were--which
was progress.
Fourth, at the core of King's success was an appeal to
conscience that touched hearts and opened minds, a commitment
to universal ideals--of freedom, of justice, of equality--
that spoke to all people, not just some people. For King
understood that without broad support, any movement for civil
rights could not be sustained. That's why he marched with the
white auto worker in Detroit. That's why he linked arm with
the Mexican farm worker in California, and united people of
all colors in the noble quest for freedom.
Of course, King overcame in other ways as well. He remained
strategically focused on gaining ground--his eyes on the
prize constantly--understanding that change would not be
easy, understand that change wouldn't come overnight,
understanding that there would be setbacks and false starts
along the way, but understanding, as he said in 1956, that
``we can walk and never get weary, because we know there is a
great camp meeting in the promised land of freedom and
justice.''
And it's because the Moses generation overcame that the
trials we face today are very different from the ones that
tested us in previous generations. Even after the worst
recession in generations, life in America is not even close
to being as brutal as it was back then for so many. That's
the legacy of Dr. King and his movement. That's our
inheritance. Having said that, let there be no doubt the
challenges of our new age are serious in their own right, and
we must face them as squarely as they faced the challenges
they saw.
I know it's been a hard road we've traveled this year to
rescue the economy, but the economy is growing again. The job
losses have finally slowed, and around the country, there's
signs that businesses and families are beginning to rebound.
We are making progress.
I know it's been a hard road that we've traveled to reach
this point on health reform. I promise you I know.
(Laughter.) But under the legislation I will sign into law,
insurance companies won't be able to drop you when you get
sick, and more than 30 million people--(applause)--our fellow
Americans will finally have insurance. More than 30 million
men and women and children, mothers and fathers, won't be
worried about what might happen to them if they get sick.
This will be a victory not for Democrats; this will be a
victory for dignity and decency, for our common humanity.
This will be a victory for the United States of America.
Let's work to change the political system, as imperfect as
it is. I know people can feel down about the way things are
going sometimes here in Washington. I know it's tempting to
give up on the political process. But we've put in place
tougher rules on lobbying and ethics and transparency--
tougher rules than any administration in history. It's not
enough, but it's progress. Progress is possible. Don't give
up on voting. Don't give up on advocacy. Don't give up on
activism. There are too many needs to be met, too much work
to be done. Like Dr. King said, ``We must accept finite
disappointment but never lose infinite hope.''
[[Page H219]]
Let us broaden our coalition, building a confederation not
of liberals or conservatives, not of red states or blue
states, but of all Americans who are hurting today, and
searching for a better tomorrow. The urgency of the hour
demands that we make common cause with all of America's
workers--white, black, brown--all of whom are being hammered
by this recession, all of whom are yearning for that spring
to come. It demands that we reach out to those who've been
left out in the cold even when the economy is good, even when
we're not in recession--the youth in the inner cities, the
youth here in Washington, D.C., people in rural
communities who haven't seen prosperity reach them for a
very long time. It demands that we fight discrimination,
whatever form it may come. That means we fight
discrimination against gays and lesbians, and we make
common cause to reform our immigration system.
And finally, we have to recognize, as Dr. King did, that
progress can't just come from without--it also has to come
from within. And over the past year, for example, we've made
meaningful improvements in the field of education. I've got a
terrific Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan. He's been
working hard with states and working hard with the D.C.
school district, and we've insisted on reform, and we've
insisted on accountability. We we're putting in more money
and we've provided more Pell Grants and more tuition tax
credits and simpler financial aid forms. We've done all that,
but parents still need to parent. (Applause.) Kids still need
to own up to their responsibilities. We still have to set
high expectations for our young people. Folks can't simply
look to government for all the answers without also looking
inside themselves, inside their own homes, for some of the
answers.
Progress will only come if we're willing to promote that
ethic of hard work, a sense of responsibility, in our own
lives. I'm not talking, by the way, just to the African
American community. Sometimes when I say these things people
assume, well, he's just talking to black people about working
hard. No, no, no, no. I'm talking to the American community.
Because somewhere along the way, we, as a nation, began to
lose touch with some of our core values. You know what I'm
talking about. We became enraptured with the false prophets
who prophesized an easy path to success, paved with credit
cards and home equity loans and get-rich-quick schemes, and
the most important thing was to be a celebrity; it doesn't
matter what you do, as long as you get on TV. That's
everybody.
We forgot what made the bus boycott a success; what made
the civil rights movement a success; what made the United
States of America a success--that, in this country, there's
no substitute for hard work, no substitute for a job well
done, no substitute for being responsible stewards of God's
blessings.
What we're called to do, then, is rebuild America from its
foundation on up. To reinvest in the essentials that we've
neglected for too long--like health care, like education,
like a better energy policy, like basic infrastructure, like
scientific research. Our generation is called to buckle down
and get back to basics.
We must do so not only for ourselves, but also for our
children, and their children. For Jordan and for Austin.
That's a sacrifice that falls on us to make. It's a much
smaller sacrifice than the Moses generation had to make, but
it's still a sacrifice.
Yes, it's hard to transition to a clean energy economy.
Sometimes it may be inconvenient, but it's a sacrifice that
we have to make. It's hard to be fiscally responsible when we
have all these human needs, and we're inheriting enormous
deficits and debt, but that's a sacrifice that we're going to
have to make. You know, it's easy, after a hard day's work,
to just put your kid in front of the TV set--you're tired,
don't want to fuss with them--instead of reading to them, but
that's a sacrifice we must joyfully accept.
Sometimes it's hard to be a good father and good mother.
Sometimes it's hard to be a good neighbor, or a good citizen,
to give up time in service of others, to give something of
ourselves to a cause that's greater than ourselves--as
Michelle and I are urging folks to do tomorrow to honor and
celebrate Dr. King. But these are sacrifices that we are
called to make. These are sacrifices that our faith calls us
to make. Our faith in the future. Our faith in America. Our
faith in God.
And on his sermon all those years ago, Dr. King quoted a
poet's verse:
Truth forever on the scaffold
Wrong forever on the throne . . .
And behind the dim unknown stands God
Within the shadows keeping watch above his own.
Even as Dr. King stood in this church, a victory in the
past and uncertainty in the future, he trusted God. He
trusted that God would make a way. A way for prayers to be
answered. A way for our union to be perfected. A way for the
arc of the moral universe, no matter how long, to slowly bend
towards truth and bend towards freedom, to bend towards
justice. He had faith that God would make a way out of no
way.
You know, folks ask me sometimes why I look so calm.
(Laughter.) They say, all this stuff coming at you, how come
you just seem calm? And I have a confession to make here.
There are times where I'm not so calm. (Laughter.) Reggie
Love knows. My wife knows. There are times when progress
seems too slow. There are times when the words that are
spoken about me hurt. There are times when the barbs sting.
There are times when it feels like all these efforts are for
naught, and change is so painfully slow in coming, and I have
to confront my own doubts.
But let me tell you--during those times it's faith that
keeps me calm. (Applause.) It's faith that gives me peace.
The same faith that leads a single mother to work two jobs to
put a roof over her head when she has doubts. The same faith
that keeps an unemployed father to keep on submitting job
applications even after he's been rejected a hundred times.
The same faith that says to a teacher even if the first nine
children she's teaching she can't reach, that that 10th one
she's going to be able to reach. The same faith that breaks
the silence of an earthquake's wake with the sound of prayers
and hymns sung by a Haitian community. A faith in things not
seen, in better days ahead, in Him who holds the future in
the hollow of His hand. A faith that lets us mount up on
wings like eagles; lets us run and not be weary; lets us walk
and not faint.
So let us hold fast to that faith, as Joshua held fast to
the faith of his fathers, and together, we shall overcome the
challenges of a new age. (Applause.) Together, we shall seize
the promise of this moment. Together, we shall make a way
through winter, and we're going to welcome the spring.
Through God all things are possible. (Applause.)
May the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King continue to
inspire us and ennoble our world and all who inhabit it. And
may God bless the United States of America. Thank you very
much, everybody. God bless you. (Applause.)
____
[From POLITICO, Jan. 15, 2010]
Heed King: Cut Poverty for All
(By Wade Henderson and John Podesta)
The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and his Southern Christian
Leadership Conference decided in November 1967--less than
five months before he was assassinated--to take their civil
rights movement in a new direction. King set sail on a voyage
to ``lead waves of the nation's poor and disinherited to
Washington, D.C., in the spring of 1968 to demand redress of
their grievances by the United States government and to
secure at least jobs or income for all.''
As early as 1966, King conveyed his concern, in speeches
and private conversations, about the link between poverty and
social instability and was readying an effort to expand his
movement to include poverty reduction among all races. King
had come to understand a reality that continues to plague
American society more than 40 years after his death: that
entrenched poverty and joblessness damage our country's
social fabric.
These same issues remain an ugly stain on our nation,
despite considerable racial progress in many areas over the
past 40 years. In 2008, almost 40 million Americans lived
beneath the poverty line, and nearly one in four children
lived in a household struggling against hunger.
Poverty reduction across all races is critically important,
but we must also be brutally honest about the racial
disparities that continue to separate black and Hispanic
Americans from white Americans. While the poverty rate among
whites was 8.6 percent in 2008, 24.7 percent of blacks and
23.2 percent of Latinos lived in poverty.
Unemployment rates are also stubbornly divergent based on
race. The unemployment rate for white men over 20 was an
unhealthy 9.3 percent in December 2009, but for Latino men it
was 12.8 percent, and for black men it was an unconscionable
16.6 percent.
And while some educational achievement gaps have narrowed
slightly over time, there remain massive racial disparities,
representing a threat to our long-term economic growth. In
eighth-grade math, for instance, black students are roughly
three grade levels behind their white peers.
Such disparities demand serious, committed and prompt
action, starting with a strategy to create good jobs that
provide decent wages, benefits and pathways out of poverty in
the hardest-hit communities.
Last year's recovery legislation played a critical role in
averting disaster and curbing job loss, but we now know that
there is a longer-term need than was originally imagined. As
Congress moves to address the unemployment crisis, any jobs
bill that aims to secure our economy from the bottom up must
include three key elements: direct job creation, assistance
for struggling families and aid to states and localities.
A plan to directly create jobs must balance the need to put
people to work right away with a long-term strategy to create
living-wage jobs for low-income and minority communities. The
former can be accomplished through strategies such as funding
for temporary jobs that meet needs in distressed communities,
summer jobs and national service opportunities for unemployed
youth. The latter will require investments in job training
for high-growth fields and programs that combine work and
learning.
In addition, economists tell us that the best way to spur
economic growth is to help struggling families through
extended unemployment benefits, refundable tax credits and
food stamps. Not only do such investments help sustain the
most vulnerable workers and families, but those workers'
increased spending also ripples through the
[[Page H220]]
economy to help all Americans by increasing business income
and creating more jobs.
We must also avert additional job losses and service cuts
stemming from state and local government deficits. Without
federal aid, approximately 900,000 more jobs will be lost in
a sector that offers employment opportunities and critical
public services to low-income and minority communities.
Finally, we need a commitment from the federal government
to cut poverty in half between 2010 and 2020. Our
organizations collaborate on the Half in Ten Campaign because
we believe that a goal of cutting the poverty rate in half
over the next decade provides focus and accountability in the
fight to rebuild this country's middle class and ensure that
low-income and minority communities are not left behind
during economic recovery. By setting a target, our government
can also create a vision for shared prosperity that breaks
down silos across government agencies, engages the private
sector and inspires innovative solutions.
Any plan to halve poverty must also aim to reduce racial
and ethnic economic disparities. America will be a majority-
minority country by 2050. We must be vigilant about
addressing disparities now, not only because it is the right
thing to do but because the fate of communities of color is
intertwined with our future as a nation.
King wrote in 1967, ``The time has come for us to civilize
ourselves by the total, direct and immediate abolition of
poverty.'' Just as King came to advocate, Congress must
promptly act to alleviate poverty, create jobs, and eliminate
racial disparities.
Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I rise today to support the
resolve to commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. during the 30th
anniversary of the Stevie Wonder tribute to Dr. King, ``Happy
Birthday''. This resolve was introduced by chairman of the House
Judiciary Committee, John Conyers. Like myself, Chairman Conyers is a
longtime musician and music aficionado.
Dr. King worked his entire life to make the world a better place, and
to create equality for those who did not have it. We have come a very
long way since he began his work. However, we still have a long way to
go before we make his ``dream'' become a reality. It is always
important to recognize and remember those who have done great things
for our great country, and recognizing Dr. King's accomplishments and
dreams during the 30th anniversary of Stevie Wonder's tribute to him
would be very fitting. As a member of the Judiciary Committee, and as a
musician, I find this resolution to be of special significance, and I
urge all of my colleagues to support it.
Although Dr. King's life ended in Memphis Tennessee, it began in
Atlanta, Georgia on January 15, 1929. He spent his life working to end
racial segregation and racial discrimination through civil disobedience
and non-violent protests. On April 28, 1963, he gave one of the most
famous civil rights speeches of all time in his ``I Have a Dream''
speech. The speech painted a picture of a future that we are still
trying to achieve where people will be ``not judged by the color of
their skin, but the content of their character''. Dr. King was
assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis Tennessee. Dr. King was one
of many significant people from Georgia that are remembered in history.
It is important that we take time to remember the contributions he made
to our society. His contributions have already brought him many
accolades. In 1964, he won the Nobel Peace Prize, becoming the youngest
person to have been awarded this honor, and in 1965 he was awarded the
American Liberties Medallion by the American Jewish Community. In 1963,
he was named Time Person of the Year. The list of awards and
recognitions he has received is very long and prestigious, and it is
only fitting for us to recognize his achievements as well.
Stevie Wonder wrote, produced and performed the song ``Happy
Birthday'' in 1981. It was performed to let the world know how
important it was to him that Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday be
celebrated as a national holiday. It is for this reason that the timing
of this commemoration of Dr. King is so significant. As a member of the
Judiciary and a long time musician, I urge my colleagues to support
this resolve.
Mr. SMITH of Texas. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for
time, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. CONYERS. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers) that the House suspend the rules
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1010.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________