Congresswoman Brown Introduces Resolution Honoring Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Celebrating Diversity, and Condemning Hate

Washington, DC – Congresswoman Shontel Brown (OH-11) has introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives honoring the life, legacy, and works of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. ahead of what would have been his 95^th birthday on Monday.

Congresswoman Brown’s Resolution Honors Dr. King by Celebrating Diversity Promoting Tolerance and Condemning Hate. It affirms that diversity is our strength, and condemns any form of harassment, discrimination, or prejudice directed at any minority ethnic group, or based on an individual’s gender, orientation, or identity. The resolution recognizes that Dr. King “fought, marched, and preached for the inalienable rights of all people, particularly Black Americans.”

“Dr. King deserves our eternal gratitude and this celebratory resolution. Dr. King’s legacy is monumental, but current events make it clear that we cannot confine him to the history books. With so much hatred around us, we still need Dr. King and his message – a message that the House should affirm. The fight to protect voting rights, defend democracy, and condemn hate is not over. As we celebrate the anniversary of his birth, let us remember that diversity is our strength and stay committed to building a country where the civil rights and dignity of all are respected,” said Congresswoman Brown.  

Congresswoman Brown’s resolution is cosponsored by 47 Members of the House of Representatives:Rep. Alma Adams (NC-12), Rep. Colin Allred (TX-32), Rep. Gabe Amo (RI-02), Rep. Joyce Beatty (OH-03), Rep. Stanford Bishop (GA-02), Rep. Andre Carson (IN-07), Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Rep. Gerry Connolly (VA-11), Rep. Joseph Courtney (CT-02), Rep. Anna Eshoo (CA-16), Rep. Valerie Foushee (NC-04), Rep. Maxwell Frost (FL-10), Rep. John Garamendi (CA-08), Rep. Al Green (TX-09), Rep. Raul Grijalva (AZ-07), Rep. Jahana Hayes (CT-05), Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Rep. Steven Horsford (NV-04), Rep. Glenn Ivey (MD-04), Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18), Rep. Hank Johnson (GA-04), Rep. Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), Rep. Greg Landsman (OH-01), Rep. Barbara Lee (CA-12), Rep. Lucy McBath (GA-07), Rep. Jennifer McClellan (VA-04), Rep. Grace Meng (NY-06), Rep. Kweisi Mfume (MD-07), Rep. Gwen Moore (WI-04), Rep. Joe Neguse (CO-02), Rep. Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Rep. Donald Payne, Jr. (NJ-10), Del. Gregorio Sablan (CNMI-AL), Rep. Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Rep. David Scott (GA-13), Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07), Rep. Darren Soto (FL-09), Rep. Abigail Spanberger (VA-07), Rep. Emilia Sykes (OH-13), Rep. Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Rep. Bennie Thompson (MS-02), Rep. David Trone (MD-06), Rep. Nydia Velazquez (NY-07), Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Rep. Nikema Williams (GA-05), Rep. Frederica Wilson (FL-24)

Congresswoman Brown’s resolution reads as follows:

Honoring Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., by Celebrating Diversity, Promoting Tolerance, and Condemning Hate.

Whereas the Nation will celebrate the 95th anniversary of the birth of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., on Monday, January 15, 2024;

Whereas Dr. King taught that the blessing of diversity is our strength;

Whereas Dr. King fought, marched, and preached for the inalienable rights of all people, particularly Black Americans;

Whereas among these rights is the inviolable right of every person to cast their vote and make their voice heard in a representative democracy;

Whereas tolerance for one another’s difference in race, ethnicity, gender, culture, religion, sexual orientation, age, or disability is a profound virtue;

Whereas civil discourse in a land of democratic freedom is the true promise of our country; and

Whereas Dr. King once wrote in his 1963 Letter from a Birmingham Jail, ‘‘Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly’’:

 Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives—
 

(1) celebrates the 95th anniversary of the birthday of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., on January 15, 2024, which shall serve as a reminder that hate and hateful conduct based on differences has no place in the United States in tribute to his life and teachings;

(2) affirms the words of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., ‘‘Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider anywhere within its bounds’’;

(3) honors the life, legacy, works, and heroism of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.;

(4) condemns any form of harassment, discrimination, or prejudice targeted at any minority ethnic group, including the Black community, Indigenous people, the Jewish community, the Asian-American and Pacific Islander community, the Muslim community, and the Hispanic and Latino communities;

(5) condemns any form of harassment, discrimination, or prejudice based on a person’s gender, including the trans community and LGBTQ+ individuals;

(6) abhors the violence and animus that led to the untimely death of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; and

(7) calls on all people across the Nation and the world to uphold Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s values and teachings of justice, equality, peace, advocacy, and tolerance.

###