Whereas, Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movements in the 1950s and 1960s, King advanced civil rights for people of color in the United States through nonviolence and civil disobedience; and
Whereas, Martin Luther King Jr. lead nonviolent resistance against Jim Crow laws and other forms of discrimination in the United States; and
Whereas, King led marches for the right to vote, desegregation, and labor rights, King oversaw the 1955 Montgomery bus boycott and became the first president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC); and
Whereas, King was labeled a radical by the FBI, and his fight for not only equality but also equity amongst Americans led to his life being threatened, his house being burned, being arrested several times along with other civil right protestors and ultimately, his assassination; and
Whereas, On October 14, 1964, King won the Nobel Peace Prize for combatting racial inequality through nonviolence, King was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1977, and the Congressional Gold Medal in 2003; and
Whereas, Martin Luther King Jr. Day (MLK day) is a federal holiday, and acknowledges the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr, MLK day was first observed on January 20, 1986; and
Whereas, in 1968, King was planning a national occupation of Washington, D.C., to be called the Poor People’s Campaign, when he was assassinated on April 4 th, in Memphis, Tennessee.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Richmond City Council hereby declares January 15, 2024, as Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and honors his legacy and acknowledges his fight for equity in America, the civil rights movement has given so many Americans freedoms that they wouldn’t have had if it weren’t for Martin Luther King, and the many other civil rights activists during this time. The City of Richmond is committed to being a equitable city for all of it’s residents regardless of their race, gender, or religion.
Eduardo Martinez Cesar Zepeda
Eduardo Martinez, Mayor Cesar Zepeda, Councilmember, District 2 Cosponsor Sponsor
Proclamation by City of Richmond
Recognizing Martin Luther King Jr. Day