Sacramento - In this Democratic weekly address, Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez (D-Los Angeles) honors the memory of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who paved the way for equality and civil justice for generations to come. "We cannot for one moment allow ourselves to believe that only one day of commemoration is enough to freshen the spirit of justice and civic ideals that gave a hopeful, positive, and irreversible momentum to the Civil Rights movement," Speaker Pérez said. "We must embody Dr. King's legacy in our words and in our deeds every day."
Click onto the following link for the English language MP3 file. The running time is 2:28.
http://www.asmdc.org/audio/20120112RadioAddressEnglishMLKDayPerez.MP3
Click onto the following link for the Spanish language MP3 file. The running time is 3:22.
http://democrats.assembly.ca.gov/Newsline/Audio/20120112RadioAddressSpanishMLKDayPerez.MP3
Transcript:
Hello, this is Assembly Speaker John Pérez.
This week our country celebrates the civil rights movement by honoring one of its greatest leaders: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
We cannot for one moment allow ourselves to believe that only one day of commemoration is enough to freshen the spirit of justice and civic ideals that gave a hopeful, positive, and irreversible momentum to the Civil Rights movement.
We must embody Dr. King's legacy in our words and in our deeds every day.
We live in an era of challenges unseen since the days of the Great Depression. Millions of people across this country are suffering. Millions more are barely scraping by.
With so much economic pain left to heal, Dr. King's final days are a poignant reminder that justice means more than a fair legal system and a right to vote—justice is predicated on every person having the same opportunity to make the most of their potential in life.
Dr. King died in Memphis, after marching with striking sanitation workers who were demanding dignity, respect and fairness in the work place.
As Dr. King vividly underscored with his presence on that picket line, in a just society, every person has the opportunity to grow, and thrive and live their American Dream.
In February of 1961, Dr. King spoke to the students of New York University. He saw before him a decade that he fervently hoped and believed would be a decade of deliverance for black Americans, and a decade of renewal for all Americans.
He told the students the following: "Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable... Every step towards the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals."
It is from this passionate concern that this country revitalizes itself in every generation; it's in their tireless work and boundless optimism that this country is continually made into a more perfect union.
We must take this opportunity to celebrate the life of Dr. King, and to recommit ourselves to the awesome responsibility of carrying forward his vision for a country of success, prosperity and justice for all our people.
I'm Speaker John Pérez.
Thanks for listening.
