[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 1]
[Senate]
[Pages 256-257]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

  Mr. BURRIS. Thank you, Mr. President.
  Every so often in the winding history of our country there is an 
entire generation that rises to confront the challenges of a moment. 
Every so often there is a movement so powerful that it changes the 
course of history. And every so often there is a visionary leader, a 
person with singular ideas, who comes along exactly at the right time 
to harness the energy of a movement and capture the imagination of a 
generation.
  These are rare figures whose names are etched into our national 
consciousness, whose memorials dot the landscape of our Capital, and 
whose words and actions help to redefine the very fabric of our Nation. 
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was just such a leader. He rose to 
prominence as a key figure of the civil rights movement, but he came to 
transcend both the movement and the generation that brought him to 
national prominence.
  Earlier this week we came together as a nation to celebrate and 
commemorate the life and work of Dr. King. His message of equality and 
fairness for all inspired the transformative civil rights era and 
continues to resound throughout the United States even today.
  The legacy of Dr. King is one that lives on through the service and 
goodwill of Americans in communities across the country.
  And Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day serves as an annual opportunity 
for people across the Nation to give back and volunteer to help those 
who are suffering.
  It was this generosity of spirit that defined Dr. King's life and 
work.
  And by living out his selfless dedication to our fellow man, we can 
honor his vision and continue the work he left behind.
  The fact that I stand before you today on the floor of the U.S. 
Senate is proof of the enduring legacy of Martin Luther King.
  Out of the chaos, violence, and injustice of segregation, Dr. King 
found the strength to speak of peace, hope, and righteousness.
  Where many saw hate and resentment, Reverend King saw an opportunity 
to build bridges, to seek out the humanity of those on both sides, and 
to appeal to the compassion that lives in each of us.

[[Page 257]]

  There were some who lashed out with clenched fists. But although he 
knew he would be met with hostility, Dr. King came to the table, time 
and again, with arms outstretched.
  Half a century ago, most people could barely conceive of a world in 
which someone like me could address the highest lawmaking body in our 
land.
  Fewer still could have dreamed of the day when a man with a mother 
from Kansas and a father from Kenya would be sworn in as President of 
the United States of America.
  I never thought I would live to see the day, Mr. President.
  But even 50 years ago, when much of America could barely dream of 
such a future, Dr. King knew this day would come.
  His vision never faltered, in spite of the dark days he witnessed and 
the tragic violence that eventually took his life.
  The march towards equality has been long.
  It began long before Martin Luther King walked this Earth, and it 
will continue long after all of us are gone.
  But so long as this great Nation endures, Dr. King's spirit will live 
on in our highest aspirations.
  His voice rings through our history.
  And although he did not live to see the promised land, his steadfast 
gaze still guides our every step, his booming voice sets the cadence of 
our march, and we know he will be waiting for us when we get there.
  In the near future, a monument to Dr. King will rise on the National 
Mall, just a short distance from this Senate Chamber.
  He will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with other giants in our history: 
Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and King.
  It is fitting that this great leader should be memorialized alongside 
other Americans who have helped to build a more perfect union.
  And as we observed Martin Luther King, Jr. Day earlier this week and 
as we continue to build this monument, it is my hope that we can keep 
his spirit alive in our hearts.
  As Dr. King might say, let us keep our feet on the march and our 
hands on the arc of history.
  Let us look to the future with the same fierce urgency that he showed 
us more than 40 years ago.
  Let us complete this journey together, arm in arm, and make Martin 
Luther King's dream a reality.

                          ____________________