    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1999, Book I)]
    [January 16, 1999]
    [Pages 56-57]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    The President's Radio Address
    January 16, 1999

        Good morning. On Monday America will celebrate the birth of one of
    our greatest heroes, Dr. Martin Luther King. This morning I'd like to
    talk to you about how we can honor his legacy on that day, and all
    throughout the year, by rising to the call of citizen service.
        This morning I'm joined by Harris Wofford, the CEO of our Corporation for National Service, a
    former United States Senator and, long before that, a close friend and
    adviser to Dr. King. Five years ago, then-Senator Wofford and
    Congressman John Lewis of Georgia cosponsored a
    bill to encourage Americans to devote Martin Luther King Day to serving
    in their communities. And I was proud to sign it into law. We believe
    that this national holiday should be a day on, not a day off, for as Dr.
    King once said, ``Life's most persistent and urgent question is, what
    are you going to do for others?''
        On Monday more than 100,000 Americans, including students, soldiers,
    ministers, seniors, and members of the AmeriCorps national service
    program, will fan out all across their communities to paint schools,
    clean neighborhoods, read to children. There's still time for you to
    sign up. You can do so at www.AmeriCorps.org.
        Now, in 1993 we created AmeriCorps to give young people a chance to
    serve in their communities and, in the process, to earn some money for
    college. We gave them a chance to serve not just for a day but all year
    round. And since then, 100,000 young people have taken the AmeriCorps
    pledge. They've done remarkable things. Since Dr. King's last birthday,
    they've rehabilitated thousands of homes, immunized tens of thousands of
    children, tutored hundreds of thousands of students, performed millions
    of hours of service.
        Just as important, our diverse AmeriCorps members are learning
    lessons that will last a lifetime. In the words of one member, ``It's
    unity, people working together. You don't see color. You see people who
    have come together with just one purpose.'' For all these reasons, I
    will ask Congress to increase its support for AmeriCorps this year.

    [[Page 57]]

        There are many other ways citizens can honor Dr. King. For one
    thing, you can give the gift of life by donating blood. America's blood
    supplies are now critically low because severe winter weather has
    hindered blood drives in several regions. I urge every American to find
    out where you can donate blood by calling 1-800-GIVE LIFE.
        We can also honor Dr. King by working in our own neighborhoods to
    promote racial reconciliation. Today I am proud to release a report
    growing out of our Presidential Initiative on Race. It's called,
    ``Pathways To One America in the 21st Century,'' and it's a guide to
    some of our communities' best ways of building that elusive one America,
    one neighborhood, one school system, one workplace at a time.
        For example, thanks to a creative initiative in greater
    Philadelphia, students from different parts of town have formed teams to
    design and then conduct projects such as food drives or after-school
    programs for younger kids. In the beginning, suburban students and city
    students tended to stick to themselves. But gradually, the students
    discovered the things they had in common, and by the end, the barriers
    had broken down. It has been a stunning success.
        To learn more about this promising practice and more than 100
    others, please visit the White House website. We want every community in
    America to get involved in projects such as these.
        Until all children of all backgrounds have the chance to live up to
    their God-given potential, free from want, in a world at peace, Dr.
    King's work, and our work, will not be complete. To honor what would
    have been Dr. King's 70th birthday, I urge all Americans to rise to the
    highest calling in our land: the calling of active citizenship. For if
    we work together as true neighbors, we can realize Dr. King's most
    enduring dream.
        Thanks for listening.

    Note: The President spoke at 10:06 a.m. from the Oval Office at the
    White House. The Martin Luther King, Jr., Federal Holiday proclamation
    of January 15 is listed in Appendix D at the end of this volume.