[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 7 (Wednesday, January 19, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E76-E77]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       CELEBRATING THE DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. DAY OF SERVICE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DORIS O. MATSUI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, January 19, 2011

  Ms. MATSUI. Mr. Speaker, this Monday our Nation celebrated the life 
of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Together we honored Dr. King's 
legacy with a national day of service.
  Dr. King taught us many important lessons during his life--the 
greatest of all being that violence and hatred will get us nowhere, but 
love, service, and kindness for our fellow man can guide our Nation to 
overcome its most considerable struggles. While Dr. King was motivated 
by a period of division in our Nation's history, we know today that his 
lessons transcend all challenges. In this spirit, we pay tribute to the 
life and works of Dr. King, through participation in community service 
on the third Monday of January, each year.
  Mr. Speaker, I submit to the record the following piece by Ambassador 
of Service for the Corporation for National and Community Service MLK 
Day, my colleague from Georgia, the Honorable John Lewis, and CEO of 
the Corporation for National and Community Service, Patrick Corvington, 
on the importance of national service.
  Ever since former Sen. Harris Wofford and I introduced legislation in 
the Congress that transformed the King Holiday into a National Day of 
Service, one question periodically arises: Do Americans view the King 
Holiday primarily as a day on or a day off? Are they commemorating the 
legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. with their extra time or 
simply getting extra sleep? Clearly, there are kids who will joyfully 
spend their day in front of their Xboxes, and shoppers who will rush to 
a department store sale on the holiday.
  But as the life of Dr. King and the movement that he led demonstrate, 
ordinary people with extraordinary vision working in the corners of 
their communities can have an impact that reverberates throughout 
America. These tiny ripples of human compassion can build into waves 
that cleanse and heal the wounds of a Nation.

[[Page E77]]

  The Corporation for National and Community Service is the Federal 
agency that engages more than 5 million Americans in service to solve 
community problems. In partnership with the King Center and community 
groups nationwide, the agency responds to a mandate provided in the 
legislation to organize the King holiday National Day of Service. Since 
the service day legislation was passed, we have seen interest grow from 
a handful of local events to well over 13,000 projects taking place 
this year in all 50 States.
  Right here in Atlanta, we will be joining thousands of volunteers who 
will be packing food boxes for the hungry, rebuilding homes for the 
homeless, beautifying schools and serving in many other ways to 
commemorate the legacy of Dr. King. In doing so, people are following 
in King's footsteps, taking nonviolent action into their own hands to 
heal and mend the problems in our communities. That is what the 
National Day of Service is all about, engaging Americans in the joy of 
giving and inspiring them to see this holiday differently, not as a 
time to rest, but as an opportunity to share in the healing work of 
love.
  Last year, in the midst of the Great Recession, 63.4 million 
Americans volunteered in some way in their communities. They decided 
that they wanted to make service a meaningful part of their everyday 
lives. And their efforts are making a difference. They are expanding 
economic opportunity, helping to fix our education system, protecting 
our environment, responding to the needs of our veterans and assisting 
in the wake of natural disasters.
  To mark the 25th anniversary of the King holiday, we are issuing the 
``MLK 25 Challenge.'' We are calling on all Americans to honor Dr. King 
by pledging to take at least 25 actions during 2011 to make a 
difference for others.
  The recent violence in Tucson is a sobering reminder that we as a 
nation have not yet fulfilled King's dream for our society, the 
building of a ``Beloved Community,'' defined as a society based on 
simple justice that values the worth and dignity of every human being.
  As the victims, families and our Nation struggle to recover from this 
tragedy, it is fitting that we look to the words of a nonviolent 
warrior who met aggression and hostility with the power of peace. 
``Darkness cannot drive out darkness,'' King once said, ``only light 
can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.''

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