House Joint Resolution 25-1005
Page 1, Line 101Concerning the commemoration of Martin Luther King Jr.
Page 1, Line 102Day.
Page 1, Line 1WHEREAS, The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., was born
Page 1, Line 2in Atlanta, Georgia on January 15, 1929, graduated from Morehouse
Page 1, Line 3College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1948, graduated from Crozer
Page 1, Line 4Theological Seminary in 1951, and received a Ph.D. from Boston University in 1955; and
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Page 1, Line 6WHEREAS, Rev. Dr. King's faith, resiliency, and commitment to
Page 1, Line 7justice became known worldwide through his speeches, writings, and actions; and
Page 1, Line 8
Page 1, Line 9WHEREAS, Rev. Dr. King's life and work continue to echo in our
Page 1, Line 10lives as we strive to reach the lofty goal he set when he said, "Let us all
Page 2, Line 1hope that the dark clouds of racial prejudice will soon pass away and the
Page 2, Line 2deep fog of misunderstanding will be lifted from our fear-drenched
Page 2, Line 3communities, and in some not too distant tomorrow the radiant stars of
Page 2, Line 4love and brotherhood will shine over our great nation with all their scintillating beauty"; and
Page 2, Line 5
Page 2, Line 6WHEREAS, Rev. Dr. King declared that the moral responsibility
Page 2, Line 7to aid the oppressed did not stop at the edge of his street, town, or state when he wrote, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere"; and
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Page 2, Line 9WHEREAS, Rev. Dr. King, like thousands of other Americans of
Page 2, Line 10African descent, withstood personal attacks on his family and was denied
Page 2, Line 11the equal right to vote, own a home, and attain an education, among
Page 2, Line 12numerous other threats and setbacks, but stood firm in his conviction that
Page 2, Line 13"Although the arc of the moral universe is long ... it bends toward justice"; and
Page 2, Line 14
Page 2, Line 15WHEREAS, Rev. Dr. King was a co-founder of the Southern
Page 2, Line 16Christian Leadership Conference and embraced civil dissent. In
Page 2, Line 17confronting hatred and violence, Rev. Dr. King, along with others in the
Page 2, Line 18Civil Rights Movement, created constructive tension by being
Page 2, Line 19intentionally nonviolent but direct, urgent but strategic, in their actions.
Page 2, Line 20This tension compelled examination of Jim Crow laws and our country's
Page 2, Line 21structures and systems that favored white Americans, and without such
Page 2, Line 22examination, true civil rights could never be achieved. The urgency
Page 2, Line 23required confronting the myths that time will inevitably cure all ills and that progress toward equal rights is inevitable; and
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Page 2, Line 25WHEREAS, In a letter from the Birmingham jail, Rev. Dr. King
Page 2, Line 26wrote that "It is easy for those who have never felt the stinging darts of
Page 2, Line 27segregation to say 'wait'," but asking Americans to wait for courts or for
Page 2, Line 28minds to change on their own was a continued miscarriage of justice. He
Page 2, Line 29wrote, "We know through painful experience that freedom is never
Page 2, Line 30voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed"; and
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Page 2, Line 32WHEREAS, Between 1955 and 1968, Rev. Dr. King spoke more
Page 2, Line 33than 2,500 times, including at the 1963 March on Washington where he
Page 2, Line 34delivered his "I Have A Dream" speech with his inspirational look to the
Page 2, Line 35future -- "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in
Page 2, Line 36a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the
Page 2, Line 37content of their character",wrote five books as well as numerous articles,
Page 3, Line 1led 33 integral protests such as the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott,
Page 3, Line 2helped register Black voters, was arrested more than 20 times, was
Page 3, Line 3awarded five honorary degrees, received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964,
Page 3, Line 4and was the integral leader for gathering hundreds of thousands of people
Page 3, Line 5in the name of equality and civil rights. Thus, he became the symbolic leader of the Black community as well as a world figure; and
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Page 3, Line 7WHEREAS, The leadership of Rev. Dr. King was instrumental in
Page 3, Line 8bringing about landmark legislation, such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964,
Page 3, Line 9which prohibited segregation in public accommodations and facilities and
Page 3, Line 10banned discrimination based on race, color, or national origin, and the
Page 3, Line 11Voting Rights Act of 1965, which eliminated the remaining legal barriers to voting for disenfranchised Black voters; and
Page 3, Line 12
Page 3, Line 13WHEREAS, Rev. Dr. King's 13 years of nonviolent leadership
Page 3, Line 14ended abruptly and tragically when, on April 4, 1968, he was assassinated
Page 3, Line 15while standing on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee; and
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Page 3, Line 17WHEREAS, The celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in
Page 3, Line 18Colorado was championed for 10 years by Representatives Wellington
Page 3, Line 19and Wilma Webb in the hope that the acknowledgment of the holiday
Page 3, Line 20would demonstrate Colorado's commitment to confronting and ending
Page 3, Line 21racial injustices. In 1974, Representative Wellington Webb first
Page 3, Line 22introduced a resolution to acknowledge the holiday and, in 1975,
Page 3, Line 23introduced a bill to do the same. In 1985, Representative Wilma Webb
Page 3, Line 24championed the cause as the primary bill sponsor. On April 4 of that same year, Colorado Governor Dick Lamm signed the bill into law; and
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Page 3, Line 26WHEREAS, In 1984, Representative Wilma Webb, former
Page 3, Line 27Representative Arie Taylor, and Governor Dick Lamm also created the
Page 3, Line 28state's Martin Luther King, Jr. Colorado Holiday Commission. In 1986,
Page 3, Line 29the Commission began a week-long series of events including the Marade
Page 3, Line 30(a combination of the words "march" and "parade") on "Martin's Day". In
Page 3, Line 312000, the Commission transitioned to being privately run and was
Page 3, Line 32renamed the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Colorado Holiday Commission,
Page 3, Line 33which continues the 39th Marade that begins at the Dr. King Memorial statue in Denver's City Park; and
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Page 3, Line 35WHEREAS, Rev. Dr. King's birthday as a Colorado state holiday
Page 3, Line 36predates the federal holiday in the United States and is celebrated each
Page 3, Line 37year on the third Monday in January; and
Page 4, Line 1WHEREAS, On Monday, January 20, 2025, we celebrate the 41st anniversary of Rev. Dr. King's holiday in Colorado; now, therefore,
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Page 4, Line 3Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the Seventy-fifth General Assembly of the State of Colorado, the Senate concurring herein:
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Page 4, Line 5That we, the members of the Colorado General Assembly, hereby
Page 4, Line 6encourage appropriate observances, ceremonies, and activities to
Page 4, Line 7commemorate the federal and state legal holiday honoring the Rev. Dr.
Page 4, Line 8Martin Luther King Jr., throughout all cities, towns, counties, school districts, and local governments within Colorado.
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Page 4, Line 10Be It Further Resolved, That with the rising tide of violence in our
Page 4, Line 11state and nation, the general assembly commends the Colorado state
Page 4, Line 12board of education for its leadership in adding the teaching of Rev. Dr.
Page 4, Line 13King's legacy and nonviolent principles to Colorado's social studies
Page 4, Line 14standards. The general assembly also calls upon the recognition of the
Page 4, Line 1560th anniversaries and thus the continued commitment to the ideals of the
Page 4, Line 16Federal Civil and Voting Rights Acts to honor the legacy of Rev. Dr.
Page 4, Line 17King, including his cause for leadership and nonviolent principles as a
Page 4, Line 18response to the forces of racism, discrimination, and violence in our
Page 4, Line 19society. In this way, Colorado can lead the way in showing a new
Page 4, Line 20generation a path to a better, more prosperous, and more peaceful future for all.
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Page 4, Line 22Be It Further Resolved, That copies of this Joint Resolution be sent
Page 4, Line 23to President Joe Biden; Vice President Kamala Harris; Honorable
Page 4, Line 24Governor Jared Polis; the Honorable Wilma and Wellington Webb; the
Page 4, Line 25Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Colorado Holiday Commission, Commission
Page 4, Line 26commissioners including chairperson Dr. Vern Howard; the
Page 4, Line 27Congressional Black Caucus; the National Black Caucus of State
Page 4, Line 28Legislators, and the members of Colorado's congressional delegation:
Page 4, Line 29Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper and Representatives
Page 4, Line 30Diana DeGette, Joe Neguse, Jeff Hurd, Lauren Boebert, Jeff Crank, Jason Crow, Brittany Pettersen, and Gabe Evans.