Congress honors Martin Luther King Jr., wife with gold medal on Civil Rights Act anniversary
From left, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of Calif., Senate
Minority Leaders Mitch McConnell of Ky., Senate Majority Leader Harry
Reid of Nev. and House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio hold hands as they
sing, "We Shall Overcome," during a 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights
Act of 1964 ceremony, Tuesday, June 24, 2014, in the Capitol Rotunda on
Capitol Hill in Washington. A Congressional Gold Medal in honor of the
Reverend Doctor and Mrs. Martin Luther King, Jr., who were instrumental
in the law’s passage, was also presented. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
By CONNOR RADNOVICH, Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) —
Congressional leaders commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Civil
Rights Act on Tuesday by posthumously bestowing the Congressional Gold
Medal upon Martin Luther King Jr. and his wife, Coretta Scott King, for
their efforts in passing the landmark legislation.
The Kings' children, Martin Luther King III, Dexter Scott King and
Bernice A. King, accepted the honor in the Capitol Rotunda as several
hundred looked on. The civil rights leader was assassinated in Memphis,
Tennessee, in 1968. His wife died in 2006.
"The Civil Rights Act transformed our country," House Minority Leader
Nancy Pelosi of California said. "It made America more American."
President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act into law on
July 2, 1964. It helped end legal discrimination based on race, sex,
color, religion and national origin, and many consider it the most
significant law to come out of the civil rights movement.
Among those joining Pelosi in praising the Civil Rights Act and the
people who made it happen were Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of
Kentucky, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada and House Speaker
John Boehner of Ohio.
Throughout the lawmakers' remarks were calls for a return to the
bipartisanship that made laws like the Civil Rights Act possible.
Remembering the civil rights activists who marched, protested and
faced brutality and violence is vital, the lawmakers said. But they
added that it was important to remember the lawmakers who made passage
possible.
Boehner said the Civil Rights Act might be the "most fundamental, the
most consequential legislation" in American history. McConnell said
that Martin Luther King Jr. deserves as much credit as any lawmaker in
getting the law passed.
"His role was not just to expose or to confront injustice, but to
prepare the country to actually do something about it," McConnell said.
It was the second Congressional Gold Medal awarded to the Kings for
their contributions to the civil rights movement. The previous medal was
awarded in 2004.
Bernice King said in a statement that she and her brothers were
deeply honored that their parents were recognized for their "tireless
and sacrificial leadership to advance freedom and justice."
The King siblings have been locked in a legal dispute over the
ownership of King's Bible and Nobel Peace Prize. The Martin Luther King
Jr. Estate Inc., which is run by Martin Luther King III and Dexter Scott
King, wants to sell the items, while Bernice is opposed to the sale.
Their eldest sibling, Yolanda King, died in 2007.
The Congressional Gold Medal will be held in the newest Smithsonian
museum, the National Museum of African American History and Culture,
which is expected to open next year.
"The Smithsonian will ensure that as long as there is an America, the
courage, the impact and the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. and
Coretta Scott King will be honored, preserved and remembered," said
Lonnie Bunch, the founding director of the museum.
Posts
Earlier today, Libyans went to the polls to elect 200 members of parliament.
UN and east African regional leaders joined together to call for
greater responsible private sector investment into the conflict-prone
areas of the Great Lakes region during a summit organized by the UN
Global Compact in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 10 June.
Meriam Ibrahim gave birth to a baby daughter in prison
