[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 35, Number 3 (Monday, January 25, 1999)]
[Pages 73-74]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

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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.
    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.

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