Title
Special recognition celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day in Lake County.
Body
SPECIAL RECOGNITION
WHEREAS, born January 15, 1929, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a Baptist minister and leader of the civil rights movement who championed justice and equality while advocating the use of nonviolence to end racial segregation; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. first came to national prominence during the 1955 Montgomery, Alabama bus boycott by African Americans; and
WHEREAS, on August 28, 1963, Dr. King directed the March on Washington, where he delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in D.C., in front of 250,000 people. His dream was that individuals would be judged not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character; and
WHEREAS, he was instrumental in the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlawed discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin and prohibited discrimination in public accommodations and federally funded programs. He also led initiatives and protests to remove restrictions on voting for people of color, which resulted in the Voting Rights Acts of 1965; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 at the age of 35 for his peaceful campaign against racism, but was tragically assassinated four years later, on April 4, 1968; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day was created in 1983 and is celebrated federally and in all 50 states. It honors King’s legacy, focuses on the continued issue of civil rights, and highlights the use of nonviolence to promote change; and
WHEREAS, observed as a day on, not a day off, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is the only federal holiday designated as a day of service to encourage all to volunteer to improve their communities.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RECOGNIZED, that this County Board of Lake County, Illinois, joins the nation in celebrating January 15, 2024, as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day and encourages residents to take this day to work together and work towards solutions to community and societal problems.
DATED at Waukegan, Illinois on January 16, 2024.