Hoyer Reflects on MLK’s Legacy

Events were held in Southern Maryland on Monday to celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Congressman Steny H. Hoyer observed the day in the Fifth District by attending the St. Mary’s College of Maryland’s 14th annual prayer breakfast and the Charles County NAACP’s 23rd annual prayer breakfast.

“I enjoyed joining my constituents in the Fifth District today to reflect on the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,” Congressman Hoyer (D-Md., 5th) said Monday. “Too much division plagues us in the United States, which is fueled by lack of love and respect for one another. This year as we commemorate what would have been Dr. King’s 90th birthday, let us honor his memory and rebuke divisive rhetoric and actions.”

Mr. Hoyer continued: “We must continue the important work of Dr. King to ensure every American’s voice is heard. I will continue to work with my colleagues in Congress to protect access to the ballot box, ensure more Americans have access to quality, affordable health care, and improve access to education and job opportunities.”

Congressman Hoyer also encouraged Fifth District residents to participate in the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service by volunteering in the community. The MLK Day of Service is the only federal holiday observed as a national day of service – a “day on, not a day off.”

“As we join together to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, let us reaffirm his message of brotherhood and sisterhood as a foundation for our common enterprise of American democracy,” Congressman Hoyer said.  “We cannot be one nation, indivisible, unless we consciously choose to see one another as equals and compatriots, regardless of color, creed, income, gender, or ideology. Never before has it been more important to embrace Dr. King’s admonition that ‘we must either learn to live together as brothers or we are all going to perish together as fools.’”

The congressman acknowledged that though we live in a time of uncertainty, “We can be certain that kindness, compassion, and tolerance are stronger and more lasting forces than cruelty, ignorance, and hate. What gives these forces power, however, is not inevitability but the persistent determination of good-hearted and good-natured people, which our nation is blessed to have in abundance.”

Mr. Hoyer said that he hoped all Americans would continue to celebrate Dr. King’s life and legacy by reflecting on the work that remains and giving their time and energy to make Dr. King’s causes their own.

“May his spirit continue to guide us forward as we work to perfect our union and bring our nation together under the shelter of the ‘single garment of destiny’ we share,” Congressman Hoyer said.

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For more information about House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer, visit his Leader member page.