Thank you, Reverend Sharpton, for your kind introduction. To everyone at the National Action Network, thank you for organizing this important event. It’s an honor to be here on behalf of President Bush to pay tribute to a true American hero.
“On this day,” as President Bush said in his statement today, “We mourn the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and we celebrate his powerful and eloquent message of justice and hope.” To Martin Luther King the Third, Reverend Bernice King and the King family, you honor us with your courage and dignity. Thank you.
Because of the horrific events that took place that day, April 4th will forever be a sad day in American history.
A voice was silenced, but a cause was strengthened, and a nation’s conscience was lifted; not because of the way he died, but because of how he lived and walked among us.
Today I stand here believing without reservation, that Dr. King’s legacy lives. The principles for which he fought and died—freedom, equal opportunity and for social justice, regardless of race, creed, religion or color—are at the heart of our nation’s strength and decency.
Indeed he made America a better place, a more compassionate country—and he made the struggles for civil rights the focus of a nation.
Dr. King had a vision of freedom and equality—a vision of a country where everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed. The freedom for all to participate fully in society, to fully develop their minds, and to rise as far as their abilities and talents will take them.
The more Americans are able to live that vision the stronger our nation will become.
“I have a dream,” he said. “It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream....That one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.’” My family came to this country in search of that same American dream. I and many others who have come from distant shores are grateful to Dr. King for his leadership in building a more welcoming and tolerant society.
Dr. King recognized the American Dream was not just about the absence of discrimination. It was about the spread of opportunity to every person in our country.
When he came here to Memphis in 1968, it was again to march. He marched for the economic rights of black sanitation workers, who were being treated far worse than their white counterparts.
He was tired. He missed his family. But he marched on. He said on April 3rd, 1968, “Let us move on in these powerful days, these days of challenge to make America what it ought to be.” As we know now, this would be his last public speech.
Dr. King’s march, his nationwide journey, ended tragically right here, but the changes his journey inspired reverberated throughout the country. The Civil Rights Act. The Voting Rights Act and the Fair Housing Act, are a testament to his belief in the promise of America.
Dr. King never stopped marching, and in so doing, he moved an entire nation forward.
Unfortunately, some hear the voice of justice only when it falls silent.
Now it is up to us to complete the journey. Dr. King marched forward, confident of a brighter day ahead. I believe he would be proud of America today—not just for the progress we’ve made, but for the fact that we recognize that we still have many miles to march.
And, as Dr. King cautioned, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” It is our responsibility to speak out when we see injustice at home and abroad. Indeed, we must promote freedom, social justice wherever we can.
So, as we remember and celebrate Dr. King’s life, let us honor his legacy by continuing to act—and not lose sight of the dream.
Thank you for the opportunity to be with you today.
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce
