MAYOR GIULIANI PAYS TRIBUTE TO DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
12th Annual Brooklyn Tribute Honors the Legacy of Slain Civil Rights Leader
Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani today joined Brooklyn Borough President Howard Golden, United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, community leaders and 2,000 New Yorkers to commemorate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day -- a holiday marking the 70th birthday of the renowned religious and civil rights leader. In honor of Dr. King’s life and everlasting legacy, Mayor Giuliani declared the week of January 15th as Martin Luther King Jr. Week in the City of New York.
"As the City of Greater New York celebrates its 100th birthday, we are also marking another unifying milestone, the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr.," Mayor Giuliani said. "Dr. King’s message of love and non-violence inspired a generation of Americans to peacefully fight for freedom and equality. The civil rights leader synthesized ideas drawn from many different cultural traditions to unite people. There is no city in the world more diverse than ours, and there is no city in the world where Dr. King’s message of peace and racial understanding resonates more than right here in New York."
The Mayor continued, "Although he was taken from us before his life’s work was done, his impact on the Civil Rights Movement is immeasurable. And in recognition of his life and his teachings, I have declared the week of January 15 - 22, 1998 as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Week."
An advocate of non-violent social change, Martin Luther King, Jr. was born in Atlanta on January 15, 1929 and devoted his life to improving the lives of African Americans and ending segregation through non-violence. Dr. King’s life came to a violent and tragic end when he was assassinated on April 4, 1968.
The Mayor delivered his remarks at the Brooklyn Academy of Music Opera House. In its twelfth year, the Brooklyn salute is a multi-cultural ceremony that celebrates Dr. King’s teachings as the blueprint on how we can live and work together in unity and harmony. Of the City’s tributes to the civil rights leader, this celebration is the largest, attracting a capacity crowd of over 2,000 people. The Mayor previously attended the event in 1995 and 1996.
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