Russ Feingold: “this month our Nation will celebrate what would have been Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s 74th birthday. It is right and…”

“this month our Nation will celebrate what would have been Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s 74th birthday. It is right and fitting that on the third Monday of every January since 1986, Americans have paused from their work, school, or other activities to honor Dr. King and his legacy. Dr. King gave hope to millions of Americans and was a catalyst for the greatest advancement in civil rights our Nation has experienced since the end of the Civil War. Because of great Americans such as Dr. King, separate but equal is no longer the law of the land. Because of the progress we have made in the last 50 years, segregation in public schools has been unlawful. African Americans have the right to vote. Americans cannot be fired or denied a job based on race, religion, ethnicity, national origin, gender, or age. Our Nation has made great strides to protect freedom and equality for all Americans as a result of Dr. King's leadership. But almost 40 years after Dr. King delivered his historic ``I Have a Dream'' speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, and nearly 35 years after Dr. King was tragically gunned down at a hotel in Memphis, TN, our Nation still has a long way to go to finish his work. As we begin the 108th Congress, I want to take this moment to urge both my colleagues and the President to make civil rights a priority.”