Press Release

January 18, 2013
Statement by U.S. Senator Ben Cardin Honoring the Life of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
2013-01-01 00:00:00

More than 25 years ago, the late Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday became a national holiday so that future generations would understand and appreciate the legacy of Dr. King and why his fight for equality for all Americans helped to define our country.

 As we celebrate his birth, we rededicate ourselves to his vision of equality, fairness, and justice. We also remember Dr. King’s deep commitment to ensuring that all Americans are judged by their character, and not by the color of their skin, religion, or ethnic origin.   And, we honor his tremendous courage as he faced death, separation from his family and imprisonment, but still remained committed to the cause of ending injustice. 

Dr. King is an American hero who led the fight for civil rights and changed our nation.  Today, we are a nation of more than 300 million people, a nation in which one-out-of-three Americans is a member of a minority group.  Dr. King understood that our nation can only succeed if we treat all our citizens with respect, dignity, fairness and equality.  He also understood that as one nation — standing united together — we are the greatest country in the world.

As we celebrate and honor Dr. King’s life on January 21, we pledge to continue his fight for equality, justice and fairness for all Americans.

–##–

 

X