House Joint Resolution 26-1002
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
Page 1, Line 5University in 1955; and
Page 1, Line 6
Page 1, Line 7WHEREAS, Rev. Dr. King's faith, resiliency, and commitment to
Page 1, Line 8justice became known worldwide through his speeches, writings, and
Page 1, Line 9actions; and
Page 1, Line 10
Page 1, Line 11WHEREAS, Like thousands of other Americans of African
Page 1, Line 12descent, Rev. Dr. King withstood personal attacks on his family and was
Page 2, Line 1denied the equal rights to vote, own a home, and attain an education,
Page 2, Line 2among numerous other threats and setbacks, but stood firm in his
Page 2, Line 3conviction that "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward
Page 2, Line 4justice"; 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
Page 2, Line 8when he wrote, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere"; and
Page 2, Line 9
Page 2, Line 10WHEREAS, A co-founder of the Southern Christian Leadership
Page 2, Line 11Conference, Rev. Dr. King embraced civil dissent. In confronting hatred
Page 2, Line 12and violence, he and others in the Civil Rights Movement created
Page 2, Line 13constructive tension by being intentionally nonviolent but direct, urgent
Page 2, Line 14but strategic, in their actions. This tension compelled examination of Jim
Page 2, Line 15Crow laws and our country's structures and systems that favored white
Page 2, Line 16Americans, and without such examination, true civil rights could never
Page 2, Line 17be achieved. The urgency required confronting the myths that time will
Page 2, Line 18inevitably cure all ills and that progress toward equal rights is inevitable;
Page 2, Line 19and
Page 2, Line 20
Page 2, Line 21WHEREAS, In a letter from the Birmingham jail, Rev. Dr. King
Page 2, Line 22wrote that "It is easy for those who have never felt the stinging darts of
Page 2, Line 23segregation to say 'wait'", but asking Americans to wait for courts or for
Page 2, Line 24minds to change on their own was a continued miscarriage of justice. He
Page 2, Line 25wrote, "We know through painful experience that freedom is never
Page 2, Line 26voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the
Page 2, Line 27oppressed"; and
Page 2, Line 28
Page 2, Line 29WHEREAS, Between 1955 and 1968, Rev. Dr. King spoke more
Page 2, Line 30than 2,500 times, including at the 1963 March on Washington where he
Page 2, Line 31delivered his "I Have A Dream" speech with his inspirational look to the
Page 2, Line 32future -- "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in
Page 2, Line 33a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the
Page 2, Line 34content of their character"; wrote five books as well as numerous articles;
Page 2, Line 35led 33 integral protests, such as the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott;
Page 2, Line 36helped register Black voters; was arrested more than 20 times; was
Page 2, Line 37awarded five honorary degrees; received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964;
Page 2, Line 38and was the integral leader for gathering hundreds of thousands of people
Page 2, Line 39in the name of equality and civil rights. Thus, he became the symbolic
Page 2, Line 40leader of the Black community as well as a world figure; and
Page 2, Line 41
Page 2, Line 42WHEREAS, The leadership of Rev. Dr. King was instrumental in
Page 3, Line 1bringing about landmark federal legislation, such as the "Civil Rights Act
Page 3, Line 2of 1964", which prohibited segregation in public accommodations and
Page 3, Line 3facilities and banned discrimination based on race, color, or national
Page 3, Line 4origin, and the "Voting Rights Act of 1965", which eliminated the
Page 3, Line 5remaining legal barriers to voting faced by disenfranchised Black voters;
Page 3, Line 6and
Page 3, Line 7
Page 3, Line 8WHEREAS, Rev. Dr. King's nonviolent leadership ended abruptly
Page 3, Line 9and tragically when, on April 4, 1968, he was assassinated while standing
Page 3, Line 10on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee; and
Page 3, Line 11
Page 3, Line 12WHEREAS, Just four days after Rev. Dr. King's assassination, on
Page 3, Line 13April 8, 1968, Congressman John Conyers introduced the first bill to
Page 3, Line 14recognize Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a federal holiday. Fifteen years
Page 3, Line 15later, Coretta Scott King and Stevie Wonder delivered a petition with over
Page 3, Line 16six million signatures in favor of the holiday to Congress; and
Page 3, Line 17
Page 3, Line 18WHEREAS, When President Ronald Reagan signed H.R. 3706
Page 3, Line 19into law on November 2, 1983, and designated the third Monday of
Page 3, Line 20January a federal holiday, he stated "...traces of bigotry still mar America.
Page 3, Line 21So, each year on Martin Luther King Day, let us not only recall Dr. King,
Page 3, Line 22but rededicate ourselves to the Commandments he believed in and sought
Page 3, Line 23to live every day: Thou shall love thy God with all thy heart, and thou
Page 3, Line 24shall love thy neighbor as thyself. And I just have to believe that all of us
Page 3, Line 25-- if all of us, young and old, Republicans and Democrats, do all we can
Page 3, Line 26to live up to those Commandments, then we will see the day when Dr.
Page 3, Line 27King's dream comes true, and in his words, 'All of God's children will be
Page 3, Line 28able to sing with new meaning, "...land where my fathers died, land of the
Page 3, Line 29pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring"'"; and
Page 3, Line 30
Page 3, Line 31WHEREAS, January 20, 1986, marked the first official federal
Page 3, Line 32Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday, thereby ensuring observances such
Page 3, Line 33as closing nonessential offices, allowing federal employees paid time off,
Page 3, Line 34and offering free access to federal parks for all American communities;
Page 3, Line 35and
Page 3, Line 36
Page 3, Line 37WHEREAS, In passing the "King Holiday and Service Act of
Page 3, Line 381994", Congress, for the first time, made a federal holiday a "National
Page 3, Line 39Day of Service"; in doing so, they honored the words Rev. Dr. King
Page 3, Line 40spoke: "Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve ... You
Page 3, Line 41only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love, and you can be
Page 3, Line 42that servant". Known as "a day on, not a day off", Americans are
Page 4, Line 1encouraged to honor Rev. Dr. King's legacy on the federal holiday by
Page 4, Line 2emphasizing community togetherness and volunteerism through service
Page 4, Line 3projects like tutoring, cleaning up a local park or road, and helping
Page 4, Line 4communities; and
Page 4, Line 5
Page 4, Line 6WHEREAS, The celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day in
Page 4, Line 7Colorado was championed for 10 years by Representatives Wellington
Page 4, Line 8and Wilma Webb in the hope that the acknowledgment of the holiday in
Page 4, Line 9state legislation would demonstrate Colorado's commitment to
Page 4, Line 10confronting and ending racial injustices. In 1984, Representative Wilma
Page 4, Line 11Webb championed the cause as the primary bill sponsor. On April 4 of
Page 4, Line 12that same year, Colorado Governor Dick Lamm signed the bill into law,
Page 4, Line 13and by 2000, all 50 states officially observed the holiday at the state level;
Page 4, Line 14and
Page 4, Line 15
Page 4, Line 16WHEREAS, In 1985, Representative Wilma Webb, former
Page 4, Line 17Representative Arie Taylor, and Governor Dick Lamm also created the
Page 4, Line 18state's Martin Luther King, Jr. Colorado Holiday Commission. In 1986,
Page 4, Line 19the Commission began a week-long series of events, including the
Page 4, Line 20Marade (a combination of the words "march" and "parade") on "Martin's
Page 4, Line 21Day". In 2000, the Commission transitioned to being privately run and
Page 4, Line 22was renamed the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Colorado Holiday
Page 4, Line 23Commission, which in 2026 will continue the 40th Marade that begins at
Page 4, Line 24the Dr. King Memorial statue in Denver's City Park; now, therefore,
Page 4, Line 25
Page 4, Line 26Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the Seventy-fifth
Page 4, Line 27General Assembly of the State of Colorado, the Senate concurring herein:
Page 4, Line 28
Page 4, Line 29(1) That we, the members of the Colorado General Assembly,
Page 4, Line 30hereby:
Page 4, Line 31
Page 4, Line 32●Encourage observances, ceremonies, and activities to
Page 4, Line 33commemorate the federal and state legal holiday honoring
Page 4, Line 34Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. throughout all cities,
Page 4, Line 35towns, counties, school districts, local governments, and
Page 4, Line 36federal lands within Colorado;
Page 4, Line 37●Discourage the interruption of celebrations, service
Page 4, Line 38projects, and access to America's splendor through its
Page 4, Line 39national parks, especially for people of African descent, in
Page 4, Line 40the honoring of Rev. Dr. King's legacy; and
Page 4, Line 41●Emphasize community togetherness and service; and
Page 4, Line 42
Page 5, Line 1(2) That with the rising tide of violence in our state and nation, the
Page 5, Line 2Colorado General Assembly commends adding the teaching of Rev. Dr.
Page 5, Line 3King's legacy and nonviolent principles to Colorado's social studies
Page 5, Line 4standards. The Colorado General Assembly also calls for the annual
Page 5, Line 5recognition of the continued commitment to the ideals of the federal
Page 5, Line 6"Civil Rights Act of 1964" and "Voting Rights Act of 1965" to honor the
Page 5, Line 7legacy of Rev. Dr. King, including his cause for leadership and
Page 5, Line 8nonviolent principles as a response to the forces of racism, discrimination,
Page 5, Line 9and violence in our society. In this way, Colorado can lead the way in
Page 5, Line 10showing a path to a better, more prosperous, and more peaceful future for
Page 5, Line 11all.
Page 5, Line 12
Page 5, Line 13Be It Further Resolved, That copies of this Joint Resolution be sent
Page 5, Line 14to President Donald Trump; Vice President J.D. Vance; the Honorable
Page 5, Line 15Governor Jared Polis; the Honorable Wilma and Wellington Webb; the
Page 5, Line 16Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Colorado Holiday Commission and
Page 5, Line 17Commissioners, including chairperson Dr. Vern Howard; the
Page 5, Line 18Congressional Black Caucus; the National Black Caucus of State
Page 5, Line 19Legislators; and the members of Colorado's congressional delegation:
Page 5, Line 20Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper and Representatives
Page 5, Line 21Diana DeGette, Joe Neguse, Jeff Hurd, Lauren Boebert, Jeff Crank, Jason
Page 5, Line 22Crow, Brittany Pettersen, and Gabe Evans.