Second Regular Session
Seventy-third General Assembly
STATE OF COLORADO
INTRODUCED
LLS NO. R22-0756.01 Ashley Athey x2291
HJR22-1003
House Committees Senate Committees
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 22-1003
C
ONCERNING THE COMMEMORATION OF THE BIRTHDAY OF THE101
R
EVEREND DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.102
WHEREAS, The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was born1
in Atlanta, Georgia, on January 15, 1929, graduated from Morehouse2
College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1948, graduated from Crozer3
Theological Seminary in 1951, and received a Ph.D. from Boston4
University in 1955; and5
WHEREAS, Rev. Dr. King's faith, resiliency, and commitment to6
justice became known worldwide through his speeches, writings, and7
actions; and8
WHEREAS, Rev. Dr. King declared that the moral responsibility9
to aid the oppressed did not stop at the edge of his street, town, or state10
HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
Ricks and Exum, Bacon, Herod, Jodeh
SENATE SPONSORSHIP
Buckner and Fields, Coleman
Shading denotes HOUSE amendment. Double underlining denotes SENATE amendment.
Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material to be added to existing statute.
Dashes through the words indicate deletions from existing statute. when he wrote, "I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about1
what happens in Birmingham. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice2
everywhere."; and3
WHEREAS, Rev. Dr. King withstood attacks on his home and4
family, among numerous other threats and setbacks, standing firm in his5
conviction that although the arc of the moral universe is long, it bends6
towards justice; and7
WHEREAS, Rev. Dr. King led the Montgomery bus boycott, a8
13-month protest beginning in 1955, against the segregated city bus lines;9
and10
WHEREAS, The Montgomery bus boycott led to the integration11
of the Montgomery city bus system and is widely credited as the12
beginning of the civil rights movement in America; and13
WHEREAS, In 1957, Rev. Dr. King was elected president of the14
Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization formed to15
provide leadership for the burgeoning civil rights movement; and16
WHEREAS, Between 1957 and 1968, Rev. Dr. King spoke more17
than 2,500 times, wrote 5 books as well as numerous articles, led protests,18
helped register African American voters, was arrested more than 2019
times, was awarded 5 honorary degrees, was named Man of the Year by20
Time magazine, and became the symbolic leader of the African American21
community as well as a world figure; and22
WHEREAS, On August 28, 1963, Rev. Dr. King directed the23
March on Washington, wherein more than 200,000 Americans gathered24
in the name of equality and civil rights and which culminated in Rev. Dr.25
King's historic "I Have a Dream" speech; and26
WHEREAS, The leadership of Rev. Dr. King was instrumental in27
bringing about landmark legislation, such as the "Civil Rights Act of28
1964", which prohibited segregation in public accommodations and29
facilities and banned discrimination based on race, color, or national30
origin, and the "Voting Rights Act of 1965", which eliminated remaining31
legal barriers to voting for disenfranchised African American voters; and32
WHEREAS, In 1964, Rev. Dr. King was awarded the Nobel Peace33
Prize for his tireless and selfless work in the pursuit of justice for African34
HJR22-1003
-2- Americans and other oppressed people in America; and1
WHEREAS, Rev. Dr. King's 13 years of nonviolent leadership2
ended abruptly and tragically when, on April 4, 1968, he was assassinated3
while standing on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis,4
Tennessee; and5
WHEREAS, Rev. Dr. King's life and work continue to echo in our6
lives as we strive to reach the lofty goal he set when he said, "Let us all7
hope that the dark clouds of racial prejudice will soon pass away and the8
deep fog of misunderstanding will be lifted from our fear-drenched9
communities, and in some not too distant tomorrow the radiant stars of10
love and brotherhood will shine over our great nation with all their11
scintillating beauty."; and12
WHEREAS, The celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in13
Colorado was championed by Representative Wilma Webb, who14
sponsored the legislation creating the holiday, and on April 4, 1985,15
Colorado Governor Dick Lamm signed the bill into law; and16
WHEREAS, Colorado's enactment of the holiday and the annual17
Marade -- a merging of the words "march" and "parade" -- predated the18
federal holiday designation, and the first celebration in Colorado was on19
January 20, 1986; and20
WHEREAS, Rev. Dr. King's birthday is a federal holiday in the21
United States and a state holiday in the state of Colorado, which is22
celebrated each year on the third Monday in January; and23
WHEREAS, On Monday, January 17, 2022, we celebrate the 36th24
anniversary of Rev. Dr. King's holiday; now, therefore,25
Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the Seventy-third26
General Assembly of the State of Colorado, the Senate concurring herein:27
That we, the members of the Colorado General Assembly, hereby28
encourage appropriate observances, ceremonies, and activities to29
commemorate the federal and state legal holiday honoring the Rev. Dr.30
Martin Luther King, Jr., throughout all cities, towns, counties, school31
districts, and local governments within Colorado.32
Be It Further Resolved, That copies of this Joint Resolution be sent33
HJR22-1003
-3- to President Joe Biden, Honorable Governor Jared Polis, the1
Congressional Black Caucus, the National Black Caucus of State2
Legislators, and the members of Colorado's congressional delegation:3
Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper and Representatives4
Diana DeGette, Joe Neguse, Lauren Boebert, Ken Buck, Doug Lamborn,5
Jason Crow, and Ed Perlmutter.6
HJR22-1003
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