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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PR- 239-03
August 28, 2003

STATEMENT BY MAYOR MICHAEL R. BLOOMBERG ON THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE MARCH ON WASHINGTON

“The 40th Anniversary of the March on Washington is a wonderful opportunity for all New Yorkers to look back on its significance and on the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and to appreciate how they have fundamentally changed life in our City and our Nation.

“It’s particularly fitting for New Yorkers to observe this anniversary.  Thousands of everyday New Yorkers left their homes well before dawn, rode sweltering, un-airconditioned buses, and filled the Mall in Washington for the greatest civil rights demonstration in our nation’s history.

“Dr. King’s ‘I Have a Dream’ powerfully expresses our deepest desires for what our nation must be.   It was Dr. King’s remarkable gift that he could passionately and fearlessly indict what was wrong with our society, and also inspire us to rise above our shortcomings.  Dr. King regularly reminded us that an injustice anywhere threatens justice everywhere.

“Eight months ago, I chose Dr. King’s birthday as the occasion for presenting our Administration’s plan to reform the public schools of New York City.  The right to a quality education is just as much a right as the right to vote or be treated equally.  The failures of our public schools to provide quality education have weighed most heavily on our communities of color, and improving education for all our children is the crucial next step to turning Dr. King’s dream into a reality.”







MEDIA CONTACT:


Edward Skyler / Robert Lawson   (212) 788-2958




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