Presidential Documents

3449 

Federal Register 

Vol. 80, No. 14 

Thursday, January 22, 2015 

Title 3— 

The President 

Proclamation 9228 of January 16, 2015 

Martin Luther King, Jr., Federal Holiday, 2015 

By the President of the United States of America 

A Proclamation 

A champion for justice, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., helped 

awaken our Nation’s long-slumbering conscience and inspired a generation. 

Through a cacophony of division and hatred, his voice rang out, challenging 

America to make freedom a reality for all of God’s children and prophesying 

a day when the discord of our Union would be transformed into a symphony 

of brotherhood. His clarion call echoed the promise of our founding—that 

each of us are created equal—and every day he worked to give meaning 

to this timeless creed. 

Today, we pause to pay tribute to the extraordinary life and legacy of 

Dr. King, and we reflect on the lessons he taught us. Dr. King understood 

that equality requires more than the absence of oppression; it requires the 

presence of economic opportunity. He recognized that ‘‘we are caught in 

an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny.’’ 

In a world full of poverty, he called for empathy; in the face of brutality, 

he placed his faith in non-violence. His teachings remind us we have a 

duty to fight against poverty, even if we are wealthy; to care about the 

child in the decrepit school long after our own children have found success; 

and to show compassion toward the immigrant family, knowing that we 

were strangers once, too. Dr. King transformed the concepts of justice, liberty, 

and equality, and as he led marches and protests and raised his voice, 

he changed the course of history. 

From Dr. King’s courage, we draw strength and the resolve to continue 

climbing toward the promised land. Our Nation has made undeniable 

progress since his time, but securing these gains requires constant vigilance, 

not complacency. We have more to do to bring Dr. King’s dream within 

reach of all our daughters and sons. We must stand together for good 

jobs, fair wages, safe neighborhoods, and quality education. With one voice, 

we must ensure the scales of justice work equally for all—considering not 

only how justice is applied, but also how it is perceived and experienced. 

As Dr. King told us, ‘‘injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,’’ 

and this remains our great unfinished business. 

Through struggle and discipline, persistence and faith, patriots and prophetic 

leaders like Dr. King have driven our country inexorably forward. In every 

chapter of our great story, giants of history and unheralded foot soldiers 

for justice have fought to bridge the gap between our founding ideals and 

the realities of the time. We will never forget all who endured and sacrificed, 

or those who gave their lives, so that our children might live in a freer, 

fairer, and more just society. 

In sermons and speeches, Dr. King’s voice rang out with a call for us 

to work toward a better tomorrow. As we honor his legacy, Americans 

across the country will join one another for a day of service, picking up 

the baton handed to us by past generations and carrying forward their 

efforts. As one people, we will show when ordinary citizens come together 

to participate in the democracy we love, justice will not be denied. 

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States 

of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution 


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3450 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 14 / Thursday, January 22, 2015 / Presidential Documents 

and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim January 19, 2015, 

as the Martin Luther King, Jr., Federal Holiday. I encourage all Americans 

to observe this day with appropriate civic, community, and service projects 

in honor of Dr. King and to visit www.MLKDay.gov to find Martin Luther 

King, Jr., Day of Service projects across our country. 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this sixteenth day 

of January, in the year of our Lord two thousand fifteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-ninth. 

[FR Doc. 2015–01254 

Filed 1–21–15; 11:15 am] 

Billing code 3295–F5 


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