[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 126, 112th Congress, 2nd Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
PROCLAMATION 8773--JAN. 13, 2012

Proclamation 8773 of January 13, 2012

Martin Luther King, Jr., Federal Holiday, 2012

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

On a hot summer day nearly half a century ago, an African American
preacher with no official title or rank gave voice to our Nation's
deepest aspirations, sharing his dream of an America that ensured the
true equality of all our people. From the steps of the Lincoln Memorial,
the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. inspired a movement that would
push our country toward a more perfect Union.
At a time when our Nation was sharply divided, Dr. King called on a
generation of Americans to be ``voices of reason, sanity, and
understanding amid the voices of violence, hatred, and emotion.'' His
example stirred men and women of all backgrounds to become foot soldiers
for justice, and his leadership gave them the courage to refuse the
limitations of the day and fight for the prospect of tomorrow. Because
these individuals showed the resilience to stand firm in the face of the
fiercest resistance, we are the benefactors of an extraordinary legacy
of progress.
Today, Dr. King is memorialized on the National Mall where he once
spoke, a symbol of how far our Nation has come and a testament to the
quiet heroes whose names may never appear in history books, but whose
selflessness brought about change few thought possible. Dr. King's
memorial reminds us that while the work of realizing his remarkable
dream is unending, with persistence, progress is within our reach.
On the Martin Luther King, Jr., Federal Holiday, we celebrate the man
who fought for the America he knew was possible. Dr. King's faith in a
God who loves all His children and a Nation grounded in the promise of
equality would not let him rest until victory was won. As we work to
meet the challenges of our time--from fixing our schools so every child
gets a world-class education to ensuring all Americans have access to
strong and secure economic opportunity--let us draw strength from Dr.
King's stirring affirmation that ``Everybody can be great because
everybody can serve.'' In his memory, let us continue climbing toward
that Promised Land, one more fair and more just for all people.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, 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 January 16, 2012, 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 www.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 twelve, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
sixth.
BARACK OBAMA