[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 12 (Thursday, January 19, 2023)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 3283-3284]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-01095]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 12 / Thursday, January 19, 2023 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 3283]]

                Proclamation 10513 of January 13, 2023

                
Martin Luther King, Jr., Federal Holiday, 2023

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                Today, we honor the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, 
                Jr., by continuing his unfinished work to redeem the 
                soul of America.

                Dr. King came of age in the South during a time when 
                racial discrimination was the law of the land. Black 
                Americans risked jail time for accessing public 
                accommodations like drinking fountains, parks, 
                restrooms, restaurants, and hotels. Their voting rights 
                were denied by complicated, onerous, and discriminatory 
                rules. Even if they attempted to register to vote, they 
                could be fired from their jobs, be run off of their 
                farms, or face vigilante violence.

                Dr. King imagined a different future for America--an 
                America he called the ``Beloved Community.'' Building 
                the Beloved Community required a key shift in human 
                understanding. It meant looking beyond external 
                differences to see the union of all humankind. It also 
                meant finding a way to deal with our grievances without 
                animosity, in a way that recognized the 
                interconnectedness of all humanity and allowed us to 
                move forward together.

                From the pulpit to the podium to the streets, Dr. King 
                devoted his life to the quest for this Beloved 
                Community in our Nation. His activism and moral 
                authority helped usher in the Civil Rights Act of 1964 
                and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. He gave a voice to 
                the restless spirit of millions yearning for change. He 
                gave us a roadmap to unify, to heal, and to sustain the 
                blessings of the Nation to all of its people.

                But the work continues because it remains unfinished. 
                That is why my Administration has called on the 
                Congress to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights 
                Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act to ensure 
                that every citizen has a voice in deciding our future.

                In keeping with Dr. King's campaign for economic 
                justice and the rights of workers, my Administration is 
                striving to make the American Dream a reality for every 
                family. By creating good-paying jobs, investing in the 
                middle class, improving access to affordable housing 
                and quality education, and closing the racial and 
                gender wealth gaps, we can give hardworking families 
                the dignity Dr. King would say they deserve.

                Dr. King called for greater fairness in our health care 
                system, and my Administration is pushing to put 
                quality, affordable health care within reach of all 
                people--especially the most vulnerable and marginalized 
                Americans. By lowering costs and improving access, we 
                can make health care a right and not just a privilege.

                Dr. King preached that ``darkness cannot drive out 
                darkness, only light can do that.'' In his memory, we 
                strive to challenge violence and bigotry with grace and 
                goodness. We work to embed equity and opportunity into 
                all of the Federal Government's policies and programs. 
                And we serve to bring together a Nation in our 
                dedication to these ideals.

                This Sunday, I will pay my respects and express my 
                gratitude for his life and legacy by speaking at 
                services at his cherished Ebenezer Baptist Church. On 
                this day of commemoration, service, and action, let us 
                hold

[[Page 3284]]

                up a mirror to America and ask ourselves: What kind of 
                country do we want to be? Will we honor Dr. King's 
                legacy by rising together--buttressed by each other's 
                successes, enriched by each other's differences, and 
                made whole by each other's compassion? I believe we 
                can. It will require constant care for our democracy, 
                stubborn faith in this great experiment, and a 
                commitment to stamping out discrimination in all forms. 
                It will demand honest reflection about how far we have 
                come and how far we have yet to go to be the best 
                version of ourselves. But like Dr. King, I know that 
                there is nothing beyond this Nation's capacity and that 
                we will fulfill the promise of America for all 
                Americans--perfecting the Union we love and must 
                protect.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of 
                the United States of America, by virtue of the 
                authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws 
                of the United States, do hereby proclaim Monday, 
                January 16, 2023, as the Martin Luther King, Jr., 
                Federal Holiday. I encourage all Americans to observe 
                this day with appropriate civic, community, and service 
                projects in honor of Dr. King and to visit MLKDay.gov 
                to find Martin Luther King, Jr., Day of Service 
                projects across our country.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                thirteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand twenty-three, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and forty-
                seventh.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2023-01095
Filed 1-18-23; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3395-F3-P