PUBLIC LAW 108–368—OCT. 25, 2004

MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR., AND CORETTA

SCOTT KING CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL

AUTHORIZATION

118 STAT. 1746 PUBLIC LAW 108–368—OCT. 25, 2004

Public Law 108–368

108th Congress

An Act

To authorize the President to award a gold medal on behalf of the Congress

to Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr. (posthumously) and his widow Coretta

Scott King in recognition of their contributions to the Nation on behalf of the

civil rights movement.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of

the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

Congress finds that—

(1) Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr. and his widow

Coretta Scott King, as the first family of the civil rights movement, have distinguished records of public service to the American people and the international community;

(2) Dr. King preached a doctrine of nonviolent civil disobedience to combat segregation, discrimination, and racial injustice;

(3) Dr. King led the Montgomery bus boycott for 381 days

to protest the arrest of Mrs. Rosa Parks and the segregation

of the bus system of Montgomery, Alabama;

(4) in 1963, Dr. King led the march on Washington, D.C.,

that was followed by his famous address, the ‘‘I Have a Dream’’

speech;

(5) through his work and reliance on nonviolent protest,

Dr. King was instrumental in the passage of the Civil Rights

Act of 1964, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965;

(6) despite efforts to derail his mission, Dr. King acted

on his dream of America and succeeded in making the United

States a better place;

(7) Dr. King was assassinated for his beliefs on April 4,

1968, in Memphis, Tennessee;

(8) Mrs. King stepped into the civil rights movement in

1955 during the Montgomery bus boycott, and played an important role as a leading participant in the American civil rights

movement;

(9) while raising 4 children, Mrs. King devoted herself

to working alongside her husband for nonviolent social change

and full civil rights for African Americans;

(10) with a strong educational background in music, Mrs.

King established and performed several Freedom Concerts,

which were well received, and which combined prose and poetry

narration with musical selections to increase awareness and

understanding of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (of which Dr. King served as the first president);

31 USC 5111

note.

Oct. 25, 2004

[S. 1368]

PUBLIC LAW 108–368—OCT. 25, 2004 118 STAT. 1747

(11) Mrs. King demonstrated composure in deep sorrow,

as she led the Nation in mourning her husband after his

brutal assassination;

(12) after the assassination, Mrs. King devoted all of her

time and energy to developing and building the Atlanta-based

Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change

(hereafter referred to as the ‘‘Center’’) as an enduring memorial

to her husband’s life and his dream of nonviolent social change

and full civil rights for all Americans;

(13) under Mrs. King’s guidance and direction, the Center

has flourished;

(14) the Center was the first institution built in honor

of an African American leader;

(15) the Center provides local, national, and international

programs that have trained tens of thousands of people in

Dr. King’s philosophy and methods, and claims the largest

archive of the civil rights movement; and

(16) Mrs. King led the massive campaign to establish Dr.

King’s birthday as a national holiday, and the holiday is now

celebrated in more than 100 countries.

SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.

(a) PRESENTATION AUTHORIZED.—The President is authorized

to present, on behalf of the Congress, a gold medal of appropriate

design to Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr. (posthumously)

and his widow Coretta Scott King, in recognition of their service

to the Nation.

(b) DESIGN AND STRIKING.—For the purpose of the presentations

referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury shall

strike a gold medal with suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions,

to be determined by the Secretary.

SEC. 3. DUPLICATE MEDALS.

The Secretary of the Treasury shall strike and sell duplicates

in bronze of the gold medal struck pursuant to section 2, under

such regulations as the Secretary may prescribe, at a price sufficient

to cover the costs of the duplicate medals and the gold medal

(including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and overhead

expenses).

SEC. 4. NATIONAL MEDALS.

The medals struck under this Act are national medals for

purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States Code.

SEC. 5. FUNDING AND PROCEEDS OF SALE.

(a) AUTHORIZATION.—There is authorized to be charged against

the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund an amount not

to exceed $30,000 to pay for the cost of the medals authorized

by this Act.

President.

118 STAT. 1748 PUBLIC LAW 108–368—OCT. 25, 2004

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—S. 1368:

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 150 (2004):

Sept. 9, considered and passed Senate.

Oct. 8, considered and passed House.

Æ

(b) PROCEEDS OF SALE.—Amounts received from the sale of

duplicate bronze medals under section 3 shall be deposited in the

United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.

Approved October 25, 2004.