[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 129, 114th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
Proclamation 9228 of January 16, 2015

Martin Luther King, Jr., Federal Holiday, 2015

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

A champion for justice, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., helped
awaken our Nation's long-slumbering conscience and inspired a
generation. Through a cacophony of division and hatred, his voice rang
out, challenging America to make freedom a reality for all of God's
children and prophesying a day when the discord of our Union would be
transformed into a symphony of brotherhood. His clarion call echoed the
promise of our founding--that each of us are created equal--and every
day he worked to give meaning to this timeless creed.
Today, we pause to pay tribute to the extraordinary life and legacy of
Dr. King, and we reflect on the lessons he taught us. Dr. King
understood that equality requires more than the absence of oppression;
it requires the presence of economic opportunity. He recognized that
``we are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single
garment of destiny.'' In a world full of poverty, he called for empathy;
in the face of brutality, he placed his faith in non-violence. His
teachings remind us we have a duty to fight against poverty, even if we
are wealthy; to care about the child in the decrepit school long after
our own children have found success; and to show compassion toward the
immigrant family, knowing that we were strangers once, too. Dr. King
transformed the concepts of justice, liberty, and equality, and as he
led marches and protests and raised his voice, he changed the course of
history.
From Dr. King's courage, we draw strength and the resolve to continue
climbing toward the promised land. Our Nation has made undeniable
progress since his time, but securing these gains requires constant
vigilance, not complacency. We have more to do to bring Dr. King's dream
within reach of all our daughters and sons. We must stand together for
good jobs, fair wages, safe neighborhoods, and quality education. With
one voice, we must ensure the scales of justice work equally for all--
considering not only how justice is applied, but also how it is
perceived and experienced. As Dr. King told us, ``injustice anywhere is
a threat to justice everywhere,'' and this remains our great unfinished
business.

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Through struggle and discipline, persistence and faith, patriots and
prophetic leaders like Dr. King have driven our country inexorably
forward. In every chapter of our great story, giants of history and
unheralded foot soldiers for justice have fought to bridge the gap
between our founding ideals and the realities of the time. We will never
forget all who endured and sacrificed, or those who gave their lives, so
that our children might live in a freer, fairer, and more just society.
In sermons and speeches, Dr. King's voice rang out with a call for us to
work toward a better tomorrow. As we honor his legacy, Americans across
the country will join one another for a day of service, picking up the
baton handed to us by past generations and carrying forward their
efforts. As one people, we will show when ordinary citizens come
together to participate in the democracy we love, justice will not be
denied.
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 19, 2015, 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 sixteenth day of
January, in the year of our Lord two thousand fifteen, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
ninth.
BARACK OBAMA