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CIA Hosts Congressman John Lewis at Ceremony Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
January 8, 2009
The Central Intelligence Agency today commemorated the life and legacy of
one of America’s
greatest leaders, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The keynote speaker at this annual Agency event, United States
Representative and legendary civil rights leader John Lewis, delivered a moving
address about Dr. King, a man he counted as a close friend and colleague. He
addressed a standing-room only crowd in the CIA Headquarters Auditorium.
In welcoming Rep. Lewis, CIA Director Mike Hayden spoke about the era in
which Dr. King worked actively to change our country for the better:
“I was reflecting on those times, the stress under which this nation was at
that point, with both this major social movement pushing forward for equality
simultaneously with a very difficult and brutal war in Southeast
Asia.
“It challenged the elasticity of the Republic. Could our nation -- could its
principles, could its people, could its culture -- handle or adjust to all
those tectonic plate strength movements that were going on? We could. We are
blessed to live in a nation that has that flexibility, that adaptability. As
Dr. King told us: ‘There is nothing in all the world greater than freedom.’ And
freedom is the source of that elasticity.”
- Keynote Speaker Congressman John Lewis addresses a standing-room only crowd.
Lewis shared personal stories from his youth in Alabama and from his time working with Dr.
King:
“This good man, this God-fearing man, gave us hope in a time of
hopelessness. This good man, this man of God, this son of the South, this
citizen of America,
produced light in dark places. Martin Luther King, Jr. had the ability, he had
the capacity, to bring the dirt and the filth from under the rugs, out of the
cracks and corners into the open light, in order for us to deal with it,” Lewis
said. “That’s why we pause to celebrate the lessons, celebrate the history and
the meaning of this citizen, this unbelievable man. He changed us forever.
“We must never, ever forget that we’re one people, that we’re one family, that
we’re one house,” Rep. Lewis said. “Employees of this great agency and citizens
of America:
the wind may blow, the thunder may roll, the lightning may flash, and the rain
may beat on our own house. Call it the house of the CIA. Call it the American
house. We all live in the same house. So maybe our foremothers and forefathers
all came to this great land in different ships. We’re all in the same boat
now.”
Director Hayden emphasized that one of the CIA’s
values is to build a workforce that “looks like the nation we protect” and noted
that one-third of the officers who have joined CIA in the last year identify
themselves as racial or ethnic minorities. He also described the critical
importance of diversity in all aspects of the Agency’s mission: “By building a
diverse workforce, we minimize the risk of groupthink. We maximize our
creativity, vitality, and above all, we maximize the effectiveness we have as
intelligence officers.”
Posted: Jan 09, 2009 06:53 AM
Last Updated: Jan 09, 2009 06:54 AM
Last Reviewed: Jan 09, 2009 06:53 AM