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Adopt a resolution recognizing Monday, January 20, 2020 as Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a day to express our heartfelt appreciation of Dr. King and to honor his legacy as a man of determination, dignity, honor and strength
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Published Notice Required? Yes ____ No _X _
Public Hearing Required? Yes ____ No _X _
DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisor adopt a resolution recognizing Monday January 20, 2020 as Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a day to express our heartfelt appreciation of Dr. King and to honor his legacy as a man of determination, dignity, honor and strength.
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
Born on January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was an American Baptist minister, activist, humanitarian and civil rights leader. He is best known for his role in the advancement of civil rights using nonviolent civil disobedience, specifically based on his religious beliefs.
As a Nobel Peace Prize recipient, Dr. King traveled to communities across our nation and around the world to deliver his lectures and teach his beliefs of non-violent resolution; his words provided inspiration and sustenance to those in American society struggling against racism, poverty and war.
Dr. King delivered one of his most famous speeches, "I Have a Dream," during the greatest civil rights demonstrations in US history to thousands of people at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. on August 28, 1963. The speech was the pinnacle of the 1963 March on Washington, establishing his reputation as one of the greatest orators in American history.
At 6:01 p.m. on April 4, 1968 Dr. King paid the ultimate sacrifice for his beliefs when he was assassinated by gunshot at his hotel in Memphis, Tennessee. Although he was only 39 years old when he died, Dr. King had accomplished more for American civil rights through the practice of non-violent revolution than anyone in history.
Martin Luther King Jr. is remembered to t...
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