1Designating the week of January 21 through 27, 2013, as "Martin
2Luther King, Jr., Holiday Week."

3WHEREAS, Martin Luther King, Jr., born on January 15, 1929,
4in Atlanta, Georgia, followed in his father's and grandfather's
5footsteps by becoming a Baptist minister after graduation from
6Morehouse College in 1948 and Crozer Theological Seminary in
71951; and

8WHEREAS, He received his doctorate from Boston University in
91955; and

10WHEREAS, In 1954, as pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist
11Church in Montgomery, Alabama, Dr. King organized a citywide
12boycott of the city's segregated busing system which led to a
13United States Supreme Court decision forcing desegregation of
14the buses; and

15WHEREAS, Throughout this and later civil rights protests, Dr.
16King espoused the philosophy of nonviolent passive resistance

1and civil disobedience; and

2WHEREAS, In 1957, Dr. King moved back to Atlanta to join his
3father as associate pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Church and
4organized the Southern Christian Leadership Conference to fight
5segregation and discrimination throughout the South; and

6WHEREAS, During the following years, he was frequently
7arrested, beaten, jailed and threatened with violence as a
8result of his protest activities; and

9WHEREAS, Dr. King led a massive voter registration drive in
10Selma, Alabama, resulting in the famous freedom march to
11Montgomery, the state capital; and

12WHEREAS, His famous march on Washington, D.C., in 1963
13culminated in a great rally at the Lincoln Memorial at which he
14gave his immortal "I have a dream" speech; and

15WHEREAS, Dr. King's efforts resulted in enactment of the
16Federal Civil Rights Act of 1964; and

17WHEREAS, His personal sacrifices and determined leadership of
18the civil rights movement in the United States were formally
19recognized in 1964 when he received the Nobel Peace Prize; and

20WHEREAS, Dr. King was assassinated in 1968 while in Memphis,
21Tennessee, to organize a "poor people's campaign"; and

22WHEREAS, The third Monday of January has been designated as a
23national holiday in order to give all Americans an opportunity
24to reflect upon the profound impact Dr. King has had on life in
25the United States; therefore be it

26RESOLVED, That the Senate designate the week of January 21
27through 27, 2013, as "Martin Luther King, Jr., Holiday Week";
28and be it further

29RESOLVED, That the Senate urge all Pennsylvanians to be
30mindful of the spirit and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,

1and to remember his commitment to peace and his dedication to
2equality for all human beings on the designated week of his
3remembrance, January 21 through 27, 2013, and throughout the
4year.