[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 33 (Tuesday, March 9, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E325]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        IN HONOR OF THE SOUTHERN CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. ROBERT J. WITTMAN

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, March 9, 2010

  Mr. WITTMAN. Madam Speaker, I am privileged to rise today to honor 
the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) for their 
meaningful work and the imprint the organization has made on our 
nation. The Southern Christian Leadership Conference has a rich history 
and has played an important role throughout America's Civil Rights 
Movement.
  The work of the SCLC is based on the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King, 
Jr. The SCLC ensures that his dream continues to come true across the 
nation. In Virginia's First Congressional District, Gloucester County 
is home to Holly Knoll, a true American treasure. Just recently I 
visited Holly Knoll, which is not only the birthplace of the United 
Negro College Fund, but is also the site of a giant 400 year-old Oak 
tree where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. penned his famous ``I Have a 
Dream Speech.'' This groundbreaking speech was written to spark 
American drive and passion in order to overcome the struggle of freedom 
and equality for all of our nation's citizens.
  Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was president of the Montgomery 
Improvement Association (MIA) from 1957 to 1968, a precursor to the 
SCLC. At its first convention in Montgomery, AL in August 1957, the 
Southern Leadership Conference became the Southern Christian Leadership 
Conference. The SCLC has perpetuated Dr. King's mission through their 
advocacy on education, leadership, voter registration, and civil rights 
issues.
  Dr. King's dream is made a reality by the great efforts of the 
Southern Christian Leadership Conference. The hope for equality for 
children of all races, creeds, and backgrounds is a struggle which 
endures and one that the SCLC addresses by their continued work and 
faithfulness.
  Dr. King challenged the nation on August 28, 1963 when he stated in 
his speech ``We can never be satisfied.'' He also said, ``My friends, 
even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still 
have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. 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'.''
  Today I am honored to recognize the Southern Christian Leadership 
Conference and the collective efforts of its leadership and volunteers 
to make certain Dr. King's dream is a reality across the nation and 
throughout the world.

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