Title
Special recognition celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day in Lake County.
Body
SPECIAL RECOGNITION
WHEREAS, born January 15, 1929, the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. was a Baptist minister and leader of the civil rights movement, championing justice and equality and advocating the use of nonviolent means to end racial segregation; and
WHEREAS, Martin Luther King Jr. first came to national prominence during a bus boycott by African Americans in Montgomery, Alabama in 1955; 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 to campaign for the proper voter registration of people of color; and
WHEREAS, on August 28, 1963, King directed a march of 250,000 demonstrators to Washington, D.C., where he gave his “I Have a Dream” speech, delivered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. His dream was that individuals would be judged not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character; and
WHEREAS, Martin Luther King Jr., who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 at the age 35 for his peaceful campaign against racism, was assassinated four years later on April 4, 1968; and
WHEREAS, President Ronald Reagan signed a bill marking the third Monday of January as a federal holiday. All 50 states made it a state government holiday; and
WHEREAS, Martin Luther King Jr. Day 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, 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 17, 2022 as Martin Luther King Jr. Day and encourages residents to take this day to work together and provide solutions to our most pressing concerns.
DATED at Waukegan, Illinois on January 11, 2022.