[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 1]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 1177]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   HONORING THE CITY OF BARBERTON DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. DAY OF 
                                SERVICE

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BETTY SUTTON

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, January 12, 2007

  Ms. SUTTON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the 
Barberton Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service. The City of 
Barberton located in beautiful Summit County, Ohio has played host to 
this meaningful event. Dr. King's ideals of freedom, justice and 
opportunity need to be celebrated now more than ever.
  Barberton originally started out as a collective of small farms owned 
by various individuals. In January of 1890, the Barberton Land 
Development Company purchased 600 acres of land that would eventually 
become Barberton. Over the next 2 years, William A. Johnson plotted and 
surveyed the land leaving an indelible mark on the city. In this short 
time, the population of Barberton grew at such leaps and bounds that a 
reporter from the Beacon Journal remarked that the city had grown by 
``magic.'' This moniker stuck and to this day, the city is nicknamed 
``Magic City.'' The population boom of Barberton exemplifies Dr. King's 
dream of opportunity.
  All Americans know of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s stature as a 
national hero. From his celebrated ``Letter from Birmingham Jail'' to 
his organization of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, Dr. King demonstrated 
that eloquent words followed with significant action could affect 
social change without resorting to violence. His ``I Have a Dream'' 
speech movingly spelled out his dream of racial equality and propelled 
the issue to the forefront of national consciousness.
  In closing, I commend the City of Barberton and all the organizations 
that have spent countless hours organizing this celebration honoring 
Dr. King's birthday. Dr. King's dedication to racial, social and 
economic justice is a model that the world should emulate now more than 
ever.

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