ALCOAST 004/08
COMDTNOTE 05350
SUBJ: 2008 MARTIN LUTHER KING, JUNIOR HOLIDAY
1. MONDAY 21 JANUARY 2008 IS A FEDERAL HOLIDAY RECOGNIZING THE
MANY ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING
(MLK). THE THEME FOR THIS HOLIDAY IS "REMEMBER-CELEBRATE-ACT. A DAY
ON. . .NOT A DAY OFF." DR. KING S WIFE, CORETTA SCOTT KING,
DESCRIBED THE ANNUAL OBSERVANCE AS AN OCCASION FOR "INTERRACIAL
AND INTERCULTURAL COOPERATION AND SHARING." THE MLK OBSERVANCE IS
NOT AN AFRICAN AMERICAN HOLIDAY, BUT A HOLIDAY WHICH
BELONGS TO ALL PEOPLE, AND IS CELEBRATED WORLD-WIDE.
2. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. WAS BORN ON 15 JANUARY 1929 IN ATLANTA,
GEORGIA AND GREW TO FOLLOW IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF HIS FATHER AND
MATERNAL GRANDFATHER, BECOMING A PASTOR AND PROPONENT OF CIVIL
RIGHTS. DR. KING WAS MOTIVATED AT AN EARLY AGE AFTER OBSERVING
THAT THE CONSTANT OPPRESSION OF RACIAL SEGREGATION AND THREATS OF
VIOLENCE DURING HIS CHILDHOOD FOSTER FEELINGS AMONG AFRICAN
AMERICANS OF ANGER AND HATE. LATER, HIS EXPOSURE TO WHITES WHO
WERE NOT BIASED AGAINST BLACKS LED HIM TO BELIEVE THAT BY WORKING
TOGETHER SOCIAL CHANGE COULD BE ACHIEVED. "MY RESENTMENT SOFTENED
AND A SPIRIT OF COOPERATION TOOK ITS PLACE." DR. KING SAID.
3. AFTER COMPLETING HIS STUDIES AT THE SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY AT
BOSTON UNIVERSITY, A SENSE OF DUTY LED HIM TO ACCEPT A POSITION
AS THE SENIOR PASTOR AT THE DEXTER AVENUE BAPTIST CHURCH IN
MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA IN THE SPRING OF 1954. HE LEFT THE MORE
RACIALLY INTEGRATED NORTH FOR WHAT HE TERMED AS "ALL THE TRAGIC
IMPLICATIONS OF SEGREGATION" PREVALENT IN THE SOUTH. HE HAD
BEEN IN MONTGOMERY FOR A YEAR AND A HALF WHEN ON 01 DECEMBER 1955
MRS. ROSA PARKS WAS ARRESTED FOR REFUSING TO SURRENDER HER SEAT
TO A WHITE PASSENGER ON A CITY BUS. THE ACT LED TO THE YEAR-LONG
BOYCOTT OF THE MONTGOMERY CITY BUSES AND IS WIDELY CONSIDERED TO
MARK THE BEGINNING OF THE MODERN CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT IN AMERICA.
THE BOYCOTT OFFICIALLY ENDED ELEVEN MONTHS LATER ON 14 NOVEMBER
1956, THE DAY AFTER THE SUPREME COURT RULED THE TRANSPORTATION
LAWS OF THE STATE OF ALABAMA REQUIRING SEGREGATION WERE
UNCONSTITUTIONAL. HOWEVER SUPPORTERS OF THE MONTGOMERY IMPROVEMENT
ASSOCIATION, WHICH ORGANIZED THE BOYCOTT, DECIDED NOT TO BOARD
THE CITY BUSES UNTIL THE ENFORCEMENT ORDER REACHED MONTGOMERY,
WHICH OCCURRED ON 20 DECEMBER 1956.
4. PUBLIC INITIATIVE TO INTEGRATE THE BUSES AND FURTHER NONVIOLENT
EFFORTS TO ELIMINATE DISCRIMINATION AND DISFRANCHISEMENT WERE
OFTEN MET WITH HORRENDOUS VIOLENCE. DR. KING HELD FAST TO HIS
PRINCIPLES OF NONVIOLENCE AND SUCCESSFULLY PUSHED FOR THE PASSAGE
OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964 AND THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT OF 1965.
FOR THESE AND OTHER ACTS, HE WAS AWARDED NOBEL PEACE PRIZE IN 1964
DR. KING WAS ASSASSINATED ON 04 APRIL 1968. HIS LEGACY EXTENDS
BEYOND THE REVOLUTIONARY SOCIAL CHANGE HE LED IN AMERICA. HE
DEMONSTRATED THAT OPPRESSION AND VIOLENCE CAN BE OVERCOME WITHOUT
RESORTING TO VIOLENCE AND OPPRESSION.
5. ALL MEMBERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO MARK 21 JANUARY 2008 BY GIVING OF
THEMSELVES IN THE COMMUNITY. COAST GUARD UNITS AND COMMANDS ARE
ENCOURAGED TO STUDY, AND AS APPROPRIATE, CULL FROM AND EMULATE
THROUGHOUT THE YEAR THE MANY EXAMPLES OF LEADERSHIP BY DR. KING.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES AND INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND AT
WWW.THEKINGCENTER.COM AND AT WWW.DEOMI.ORG/OBSERVANCES.
6. INTERNET RELEASE IS AUTHORIZED.
7. TERRI A. DICKERSON, DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF CIVIL RIGHTS SENDS.