R 081320Z JAN 01 ZYW
FM CMC WASHINGTON DC//MP//
TO MARADMIN
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UNCLAS
MARADMIN 004/01
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC MPE//
SUBJ/DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. HOLIDAY OBSERVANCE//
POC/J.M.NOVERAS/1STLT/CMC MPE/TEL:703-784-9371/TEL:278-9371//
RMKS/1. THE 16TH NATIONAL OBSERVANCE OF DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING,
JR.'S BIRTHDAY WILL BE CELEBRATED ON MONDAY, 15 JANUARY 2001.
2. ESTABLISHED BY PUBLIC LAW 98-144, CONGRESS DESIGNATED THE THIRD
MONDAY IN JANUARY A NATIONAL HOLIDAY IN HONOR OF DR. KING, BEGINNING
IN 1986.
3. "I HAVE A DREAM THAT ONE DAY THIS NATION WILL RISE UP, LIVE OUT
THE TRUE MEANING OF ITS CREED, WE HOLD THESE TRUTHS TO BE
SELF-EVIDENT; THAT ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL." AN ERUDITE SCHOLAR,
DR. KING NOT ONLY UTTERED THESE WORDS THAT TOUCHED THE HEARTS OF
MANY AMERICANS AND PEOPLE FROM AROUND THE WORLD AT THE MARCH ON
WASHINGTON IN AUGUST OF 1963 BUT ALSO DEDICATED HIS LIFE TO
FULFILLING THIS "DREAM" AND GAINING CIVIL RIGHTS FOR ALL PEOPLE.
THROUGH DR. KING'S VISIONARY LEGACY OF HOPE, HE SET THE TONE FOR A
MORE JUST AND PEACEFUL AMERICA THROUGH NONVIOLENT MEANS. THE
MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA BUS BOYCOTT, BIRMINGHAM CAMPAIGN, SELMA CAMPAIGN
AND THE MARCH ON WASHINGTON WERE SIGNIFICANT MILESTONES THAT
ESTABLISHED THE FOUNDATION OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT. BY HIS
STRONG NONVIOLENT LEADERSHIP OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT, DR. KING
IMPROVED OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL AMERICANS. DR. KING'S CRUSADE TO
SECURE EQUAL RIGHTS FOR ALL WAS ULTIMATELY RECOGNIZED IN DECEMBER OF
1964, WHEN, AT AGE 35, HE WAS THE YOUNGEST PERSON EVER TO RECEIVE
THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE.
4. THIS YEAR'S THEME, "REMEMBER! CELEBRATE! ACT! A DAY ON, NOT A
DAY OFF!" ENCOURAGES ALL MARINES TO REFLECT ON THE LIFE OF A MAN
WHO DEDICATED HIS LIFE IN SEARCH OF EQUALITY FOR ALL PEOPLE. IT
REMINDS MARINES OF THEIR OBLIGATION TO BE ROLE MODELS OF OUR CORE
VALUES OF HONOR, COURAGE AND COMMITMENT AND EXEMPLIFY THE HIGHEST
STANDARD OF EXCELLENCE AT ALL TIMES. THE THEME ENCOURAGES ALL
MARINES TO ACT ON THE VISION THAT DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. HAD
WHEN HE DELIVERED THE "I HAVE A DREAM" SPEECH AT THE MARCH ON
WASHINGTON.
5. ALL PERSONNEL ARE ENCOURAGED TO PARTICIPATE IN LOCAL
CELEBRATIONS IN HONOR OF AN AMERICAN HERO WHO LEFT AN INDELIBLE MARK
ON THE WORLD.//
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