STATE OF MAINE
_____
IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FOUR
_____
JOINT RESOLUTION COMMEMORATING MARTIN LUTHER
KING, JR. DAY
WHEREAS, January 15, 2024 marks the national and state holiday in honor of Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr., commemorating his birth on January 15, 1929; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a Baptist minister who advocated the
furtherance of civil and human rights for all Americans through nonviolence; and
WHEREAS, this man of great spirit showed this country a dream of "an oasis of freedom
and justice"; and
WHEREAS, Dr. King, a model of an American patriot, provided the nation with one of
the most prophetic and influential voices in our history; and
WHEREAS, for his tireless work to ensure equality and justice, Dr. King was awarded the
Nobel Peace Prize, a high and honorable distinction, in 1964; and
WHEREAS, his eloquence, his perseverance and his faith moved mountains and brought
about landmark legal and social changes by appealing to the better instincts and consciences of
his fellow human beings; and
WHEREAS, the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., which ended so tragically on April 4,
1968, is a shining example to Americans and citizens of the world at large of uncompromising
dedication to the highest ideals; and
WHEREAS, the Honorable Gerald Talbot of Portland submitted legislation in 1975 to
create a day commemorating Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. prior to the federal legislation creating
the holiday; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED: That We, the Members of the One Hundred and Thirty-first Legislature now
assembled in the Second Regular Session, on behalf of the people we represent, take this
opportunity to acknowledge the extraordinary life and works of this teacher, reformer and
humanitarian, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and pause in our deliberations to recognize and
commemorate the occasion of his birth.
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