AFT Resolution

DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. TRIBUTE

WHEREAS, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., ordained Baptist minister, writer, possessor of a doctorate from Boston University, winner of the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize, is recognized as having been a pioneer and leader in the contemporary American Civil Rights Movement; and

WHEREAS, he led the movement to end racial segregation in the United States through his "passive resistance" program and was arrested and jailed numerous times for his participation in peaceful demonstrations; and

WHEREAS, his support for striking public employees in Memphis, Tennessee led to his tragic and untimely death; and

WHEREAS, he opposed the Vietnam War:

RESOLVED, that the American Federation of Teachers support or initiate efforts to make January 15, Dr. King's birth date, a national holiday for all of the nation's schools.

(1973)