Archives of the Mayor's Press Office

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: Thursday, January 14 , 1999

Release #009-99

Contact: Colleen Roche/Matthew Higgins (212) 788-2958


MAYOR GIULIANI JOINS NEW YORKERS IN COMMEMORATING BIRTHDAY OF DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani today joined religious and community leaders and public officials at a ceremony in the Tweed Gallery to pay tribute to the life of slain civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King was born on January 15, 1929 and devoted his life to advocating the advancement of civil rights through non-violent protest. His own life was tragically cut short by violence on April 4, 1968.

The Mayor presented the Martin Luther King, Jr. proclamation for 1999 to the Reverend Betty Neal, founder and CEO of Ministers of Harlem USA, for her dedication to promoting love and understanding among all New Yorkers.

"Thirty-one years after his death, Dr. King speaks to us louder than ever," Mayor Giuliani said. "The self-evident moral clarity of his words continues to remind us of our mutual obligation to treat all people with love and respect. He reminds us that as Americans we must not dwell on the past but instead look to the future, armed with courage and a capacity for hard work, in pursuit of constructive solutions to the problems we still face."

Mayor Giuliani continued, "Reverend Betty Neal is one of the millions of Americans who have taken it upon themselves to carry forth Dr. King's mission, and her work on behalf of the Harlem community is a testament to Dr. King's enduring legacy. "

The Reverend Betty Neal was ordained as a minister in 1975. She is dedicated to fostering better understanding between the community and the Police Department as Clergy Liaison to the Department, and to improving the lives of thousands of young people and seniors as C.E.O. of Ministers of Harlem USA.

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