[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 6 (Thursday, January 11, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Page S88]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             HONORING THE LEGACY OF MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

  Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, in a few short days, our Nation will 
honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
  For many, it will be a day to envision a future in which America, as 
Dr. King dreamed, is ``free at last.'' For others, it will be a time to 
remember the ideals Dr. King fought so hard for, namely his dream for 
everyone in this country to finally receive the fair and equal 
treatment promised to them under the Constitution.
  Today, we should honor Dr. King's legacy by continuing to fight to 
realize his dreams--and also recognize the brave people who stood 
alongside Dr. King at the foot of history's doorstep, like Memphis 
sanitation worker and civil rights activist Elmore Nickelberry.
  Mr. Nickelberry was one of the last surviving Memphis sanitation 
workers who fought for better working conditions in 1968, and he 
marched with Dr. King during the sanitation workers' strike. He was a 
man of great integrity and a pillar within his community. When others 
wanted to give up and stop the strike, he said: ``Keep on marching, 
keep on doing the right thing. If they're doing the right thing, 
everything will be good. But keep the dream alive.''
  Because of Mr. Nickelberry's bravery and determination, the Black 
Memphis sanitation workers received better working conditions and pay 
and were finally afforded rights equal to those of their White 
counterparts. Last week, Elmore Nickelberry took his last breath on 
this earth. But the legacy left behind by Mr. Nickelberry, Dr. King, 
and the rest of the visionary activists who fought for a freer, fairer, 
and more just America will stand the test of time.
  The impact of Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., on our Nation is, in 
many ways, immeasurable. Dr. King taught us that no change comes 
without hard work and determination. He used to say, ``The ultimate 
measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and 
convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and 
controversy.''
  As chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I am committed to 
continuing the work to which Dr. King committed his life: the work of 
advancing justice and equality for all. We are moving toward that goal 
by continuing our efforts to bring balance to our Federal judiciary. 
Throughout America's history, our courts have too often been the venue 
in which justice is denied rather than delivered. If we want to fulfill 
the promise of equal justice under the law, we need a Federal bench 
that looks like America. And, under President Biden, we are finally 
building that bench. We must continue to advance well-qualified 
judicial nominees who reflect the diversity of America.
  Under President Biden's leadership, the Senate has confirmed more 
Black women to the Federal circuit courts than all prior Presidents 
combined, including the first-ever Black woman to serve on the Supreme 
Court: Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.
  We have also confirmed a historic number of Asian American, Latino, 
and LGBTQ+ judges, and we have confirmed more circuit judges with 
experience as public defenders than all prior Presidents combined. In 
the past couple of years, our Nation has made historic progress, both 
in rectifying the injustices of our past, and building Dr. King's 
``Beloved Community.'' And that progress was made possible by my fellow 
Democratic Members of Congress who have advanced Dr. King's march for 
justice in every form: racial justice, social justice, and economic 
justice.
  I would like to close by evoking the words of another great American 
and civil rights activist--my friend, the late John Lewis. A disciple 
of Dr. King, Congressman Lewis believed in the power of community, 
justice, and love. He is famously known for his belief that people 
should ``get in good trouble, necessary trouble'' to help redeem the 
soul of America.
  Today, as we reflect on how we can honor Dr. King's memory and live 
by his legacy, I hope we can all commit to getting into the kind of 
``good trouble'' that John Lewis urged, the kind of trouble that 
challenges our Nation to live up to its lofty ideals, the kind of 
trouble that is hard, and costly but ultimately brings us closer to 
realizing Dr. King's dream.

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