[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 121, 110th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
PROCLAMATION 8099--JAN. 11, 2007

[[Page 2687]]
121 STAT. 2687

Proclamation 8099 of January 11, 2007
Martin Luther King, Jr., Federal Holiday, 2007
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
On the Martin Luther King, Jr., Federal Holiday, Americans honor the
memory of a man who stirred the conscience of a Nation. We also recommit
ourselves to the dream to which Dr. King devoted his life--an America
where the dignity of every person is respected; where people are judged
not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character;
and where the hope of a better tomorrow is in every neighborhood.
When Martin Luther King, Jr., came to our Nation's Capital in the summer
of 1963, he came to inspire America and to call on our citizens to live
up to the principles of our founding. His dream spread a message of
hope, justice, and brotherhood that took hold in the hearts of men and
women across our great land, and it continues to speak to millions here
at home and around the world.
We honor Martin Luther King, Jr., and remember his strength of character
and his leadership. We also remember the work that still remains.
America has come a long way since Dr. King's time, yet our journey to
justice is not complete. There is still a need for all Americans to hear
the power and hope of Dr. King's enduring words so that we can hasten
the day when his dream is made real. Last year, I was proud to sign the
``Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, and Coretta Scott King Voting Rights Act
Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006.''; This Act renewed the 1965
bill that reaffirmed our belief that all men are created equal, broke
the segregationist lock on the ballot box, and helped bring an excluded
community into the center of American democracy. Our Nation will
continue to build on the legal equality championed by Dr. King and all
the heroes of the civil rights movement, and we will continue our work
to protect the promise of our Declaration and guarantee the rights of
every citizen.
As we observe Dr. King's birthday, let us honor his legacy and go
forward with confidence as a Nation united, committed to destroying
discrimination, and dedicated to extending the full blessings of liberty
and opportunity to all Americans.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of
America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and
laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim Monday, January 15, 2007,
as the Martin Luther King, Jr., Federal Holiday. I encourage all
Americans to observe this special day with appropriate civic, community,
and service programs and activities in honor of Dr. King's life and
legacy.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this eleventh day of
January, in the year of our Lord two thousand seven, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
first.
GEORGE W. BUSH