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Special recognition celebrating January 20, 2025 as Martin Luther King Jr. Day in Lake County.
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SPECIAL RECOGNITION
WHEREAS, Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15, 1929, and went on to become a Baptist minister and leader of the Civil Rights Movement, who championed justice and equality while advocating for nonviolence to end racial segregation; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. first came to national prominence during the 1955 bus boycott by African Americans in Montgomery, Alabama; and
WHEREAS, Dr. King led the March on Washington. D.C., on August 28, 1963, delivering his “I Have a Dream” speech, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to 250,000 people, sharing his dream 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, as well as the Voting Rights Acts of 1965 after leading protests to remove restrictions on voting for people of color; 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, Martin Luther King Jr. Day was created in 1983 to celebrate King’s legacy federally and in all 50 states, and focuses on the continued issue of civil rights while also highlighting the use of nonviolence to promote change; and
WHEREAS, observed as a day on, not a day off, 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; and
WHEREAS, Lake County includes equity and responsibility among our values and incorporates diversity, equity, and inclusion in its Strategic Plan.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RECOGNIZED, that this County Board of Lake County, Illinois, joins the nation in celebrating January 20, 2025, as Martin Luther King Jr. Day and encourages residents to spend the day working towards solutions to community and societal problems.
DATED at Waukegan, Illinois on January 14, 2025.