Ambassador Speeches

Remarks by Ambassador Martinez at the Martin Luther King, Jr., Day Commemoration Event

American Center
January 12, 2006

It’s my pleasure to welcome all of you to the American Center for today’s program in honor of the seventy-seventh birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., one of America’s greatest leaders and an icon of the struggle for civil rights around the world. For almost twenty years now, the United States has recognized the birthday of Dr. King as a national holiday, honoring all his accomplishments and remembering his great personal sacrifice.

In fact, when the United States first recognized the Martin Luther King, Jr. national holiday in 1986, Ambassador Siteke Mwale attended the U.S. Embassy’s commemorative event in Lusaka. He also attended last year’s thirty-year rededication of our Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library. Ambassador Mwale, thank you for your unwavering commitment to honoring the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Zambia over the decades. We are honored that you have joined us here today, and we truly appreciate your support.

I also want to thank all of you for your interest in American history and for your continued willingness to maintain a dialogue between our two countries. As guests in Zambia, the many Americans working at the Embassy have enjoyed learning about Zambian history and culture; in return, we’re excited to share the story of one of the key periods in American history and of that period’s most significant leader. I also would like you to know I’m extremely impressed that you have taken the time to study some history of Dr. King before coming here today. We don’t usually ask our participants to do homework, but as students we hope you don’t mind!
The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a clergyman who is ranked among the greatest Americans in our nation’s history, because of his crusade to win full civil rights for Americans of African descent. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, those Americans, led by Dr. King, used boycotts, marches, and other forms of nonviolent protest to demand equal treatment under the law and an end to racial prejudice.

Martin Luther King, Jr. is known around the world for his contributions to changing American society and for his commitment to the universal ideals of freedom, democracy, and equality for all. All over the United States, there are schools, libraries, and public institutions named after Martin Luther King, Jr. Even in Zambia, there are two places named after Dr. King: our own American Center library -- the Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial Library, which you may have toured this morning -- and Martin Luther King Street in Kabulonga.

Why is Martin Luther King, Jr. still so famous today? What can all of us learn from him? In today’s program, I hope you will find the answers to these questions, and I hope you will be inspired by Dr. King’s life. We will show you a documentary revisiting the life and legacy of this legendary leader, and then you will hear from another key U.S. Embassy staff member: Mr. Gary Bricker, who serves with the U.S. Agency for International Development but is doubling as a history teacher today. Mr. Bricker will lead the discussion on the Civil Rights Movement and Martin Luther King Jr’s contribution to the fight for equality and will share his personal experiences as an American on the issues of racism and equality in the United States today.
Once again, thank you for coming to the American Center today and I hope you enjoy the program.