[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 131, 115th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
Proclamation 9568 of January 13, 2017

Martin Luther King, Jr., Federal Holiday, 2017

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

When the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., shared his dream with the
world atop the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, he gave mighty voice to
our founding ideals. Few could have imagined that nearly half a century
later, his iconic profile would forever be memorialized in stone,
standing tall and gazing outward, not far from where he stirred our
collective conscience to action. In summoning a generation to recognize
the universal threat of injustice anywhere, Dr. King's example has
proven that those who love their country can change it.
A foot soldier for justice and a giant of the Civil Rights Movement, Dr.
King lifted the quiet hopes of our Nation with the powers of his voice
and pen. Whether behind his pulpit in Montgomery, at a podium on the
National Mall, or from his jail cell in Birmingham, he beckoned us
toward justice through non-violent resistance and oratory skill. Dr.
King fought not merely for the absence of oppression but for the
presence of opportunity. His soaring rhetoric impelled others to take up
his cause, and with struggle and discipline, persistence and faith,
those who joined him on his journey began to march. America was
watching, and so they kept marching; America was listening, and so they
kept sounding the call for justice. Because they kept moving forward
with unwavering resistance, they changed not only laws but also hearts
and minds. And as change rippled across the land, it began to strengthen
over time, building on the progress realized on buses, in schools, and
at lunch counters so that eventually, it would reverberate in the halls
of government and be felt in the lives of people across our country.
Those who dismiss the magnitude of the progress that has been made
dishonor the courage of all who marched and struggled to bring about
this change--and those who suggest that the great task of extending our
Nation's promise to every individual is somehow complete neglect the
sacrifices that made it possible. Dr. King taught us that ``The ultimate
measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of convenience and
comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.''
Although we do not face the same challenges that spurred the Civil
Rights Movement, the fierce urgency of now--and the need for
persistence, determination, and constant vigilance--is still required
for us to meet the complex demands and defeat the injustices of our
time. With the same iron will and hope in our hearts, it is our duty to
secure economic opportunity, access to education, and equal treatment
under the law for all. The arc of the moral universe may bend toward
justice, but it only bends because of the strength and sacrifice of
those who reject complacency and drive us forward.
As we reflect on Dr. King's legacy, we celebrate a man and a movement
that transformed our country, and we remember that our freedom is
inextricably bound to the freedom of others. Given the causes he
championed--from civil rights and international peace to job creation
and economic justice--it is right that today we honor his work by
serving others. Now more than ever, we must heed his teachings by
embracing our convictions. We must live our values, strive for
righteousness, and

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bring goodness to others. And at a time when our politics are so sharply
polarized and people are losing faith in our institutions, we must meet
his call to stand in another person's shoes and see through their eyes.
We must work to understand the pain of others, and we must assume the
best in each other. Dr. King's life reminds us that unconditional love
will have the final word--and that only love can drive out hate.
Only by drawing on the lessons of our past can we ensure the flame of
justice continues to shine. By standing up for what we know to be right
and speaking uncomfortable truths, we can align our reality closer with
the ideal enshrined in our founding documents that all people are
created equal. In remembering Dr. King, we also remember that change has
always relied on the willingness of our people to keep marching forward.
If we do, there is no mountaintop or promised land we cannot reach.
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, 2017, 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 seventeen, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-
first.
BARACK OBAMA