Edwards Statement On Martin Luther King Day

Monday, January 19, 2004
Edwards Statement On Martin Luther King Day

Senator John Edwards (D-NC) issued the following statement today in honor of Martin Luther King Day:

"Today, in our homes and our schools, our places of work and worship, in our cities and across the countryside, we honor the life and legacy of a man who articulated a dream. When Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stood in the shadow of the Lincoln Memorial and spoke out to hundreds of thousands of Americans, he delivered one of this nation's great sermons. He knew that his dream was our dream-creating a nation where equal opportunity and justice prevail for all.

"Dr. King was a gift and a reminder that one man and a mission can make all the difference. Dr. King could stand in the middle of this nation's most troubling hours. He could stand in the middle of so much hatred and reach out to both sides and pull goodness and promise and possibility out of us all. When he faced police dogs and fire hoses, he shouted that all men are created equal. When Dr. King faced jail, he called for jobs and justice. When Dr. King received threats and faced harm, he talked about the promise of America, and urged us to never stop trying to get there.

"Dr. King used the bus stops and the countertops and even that 'mountaintop' to shed light on our country's soul and guide us down the path to progress and possibility. He showed us a tomorrow where every man, woman, and child is treated equally under the law.

"Today is not a day off, but 'a day on' for millions of Americans to serve. Young people and old people are using this day to work together to improve schools and community centers, to repair buildings, to bring comfort to the sick and lonely. For Dr. King the question was always, 'What are you doing to serve others?' Are you reaching out to a child who's struggling to stay on the right path? Are you working to lift up the poor and the sick? Are you working to bring economic opportunity to every corner of the country? Service wasn't a word; it was a way of life and a way to build one America.

"And this is the generation that can fully realize this dream of one America. This is the generation of young people that can know no bounds and never be deterred by discrimination. But we must keep marching until we get there. Every day, we must work toward educational equality, economic equality. We have to stand up and fight for federal judges who we know will enforce our civil rights laws. When fears rise again and try to resurrect those barriers of the past, we must work together to knock them down forever.

"We must keep marching forward, and never forget the achievements of all of our Civil Rights pioneers: the Little Rock Nine who walked past angry mobs, and inspired the nation with their grace; James Meredith's perseverance despite the full weight of Mississippi demanding that he stay home; and the Greensboro four who refused to move from the counter; and Dr. King's last sermon, taking us to 'the mountaintop.'

"These moments of history are with us now, and we remember them all on this day. They are cheering us on to keep moving forward so that the dream is no longer a dream but part of the content of this nation's character."