The birthday of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., became a national holiday more than 25 years ago so that our nation — and future generations — would understand and appreciate the legacy of Dr. King’s many accomplishments.
  He was one of our nation’s most admired leaders because he had the courage to stand up against racism and hatred with non-violent activism that inspired a movement and brought about historic changes in our country.
  

We are nation of 300 million people; a nation in which one-out-of-three Americans is a member of a minority group.
  President Obama is a symbol of the tremendous progress we have made.
  The President also understands, just as Dr. King understood, that our diversity is one of our greatest strengths, and we must do all we can to protect and nurture it.
  

Today, we look forward to a new decade – a decade in which we recommit ourselves to strengthening civil rights protections for all Americans.
  As a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I will continue to work with my colleagues to ensure that future federal judges have the sensitivity and understanding that is needed to continue the fight for equality for all people.
 
 I also will continue to work for the enactment of laws that will protect the civil rights and civil liberties of all Americans.
 

As we celebrate the life of Dr. King, we honor his memory by continuing the fight against bigotry and intolerance and finding ways in which to live together and respect each other.
  Dr. King’s legacy of social justice charted the path for us.
  As he once said: “We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.”