Congressman Cohen Commemorates Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today released a statement commemorating the Monday, January 16, observation of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. national holiday:
“Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, and its commemoration as a federal holiday, are an opportunity to contemplate what might have been and what yet may be. It’s a day for quiet contemplation, reverence and sorrow. In his day, King was the conscience of the nation, preaching the true meaning of fairness and justice. His dream inspired a movement that continues to demand both political and economic justice. Efforts to blunt those efforts have gained strength in recent years, requiring ever greater vigilance. I’m pleased to see that President Biden will be speaking from King’s pulpit at the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta on Sunday.
“King was a multi-dimensional figure in American history – one who fought poverty and militarism, along with systemic racism and bigotry. He sought to demonstrate that ‘all labor has dignity’ by coming to support striking sanitation workers in Memphis, where he was assassinated and martyred. As we mark what would have been his 94th birthday, let us renew our mission to strive every day to meet Dr. King’s aspirations. As he said in Memphis the night before he died, ‘We have an opportunity to make America a better nation.’ ”
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