Presidential Documents

1907 

Federal Register 

Vol. 72, No. 9 

Tuesday, January 16, 2007 

Title 3— 

The President 

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. 

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1908 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 9 / Tuesday, January 16, 2007 / Presidential Documents 

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. 

[FR Doc. 07–160 

Filed 1–12–07; 11:33 am] 

Billing code 3195–01–P 


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