Proclamation for “Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day" in Arkansas

TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS COME - GREETINGS:

WHEREAS: Martin Luther King, Jr. was born on January 15, 1929, the son of a prominent clergyman in Atlanta, Georgia;

WHEREAS: Dr. King united his faith and his passion for racial equality to bring down racism in the United States and was instrumental in the passage of much of the civil rights legislation of the 1960s, which granted legal equality to blacks and other minorities. His work had a profound impact on Arkansas and other states in the American South;

WHEREAS: Though Dr. King was killed at only 39, his words and actions continue to impact our lives today, nearly 100 years after his birth;

WHEREAS: In honor of Dr. King's legacy, the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday is celebrated on his birthday, January 15, with a national day of service, a call to join together in purpose and care for one another, providing the opportunity for us to give back to our communities, help the homeless, feed the hungry, attend to the sick, and give to the needy. As Dr. King said, "Everybody can be great because everybody can serve"; and

WHEREAS: This holiday embodies Dr. King's legacy of service and reminds all of us that the fight for equality, in Arkansas and across the United States, is not done yet.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS, Governor of the State of

Arkansas, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the laws of the State of Arkansas, do hereby proclaim January 15, 2024, as

"DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. DAY IN ARKANSAS"

IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of Arkansas to be affixed this 10th day of January, in the year of our Lord

2024.