January 15, 2026
Ms. Brown (for herself, Mr. Bishop, Mr. Ivey, Mr. Figures, Ms. Ansari, Mrs. Ramirez, Mr. Tonko, Mr. Conaway, Mr. Krishnamoorthi, Ms. Norton, Ms. Dean of Pennsylvania, Mr. Garamendi, Mrs. Watson Coleman, Ms. Wilson of Florida, Mrs. Beatty, Mr. Espaillat, Mr. Cleaver, Mr. Thompson of Mississippi, Mr. Foster, Mr. Mullin, Ms. Tlaib, Mrs. McBath, Mr. Carter of Louisiana, Mr. Jackson of Illinois, Ms. Kelly of Illinois, Ms. Clarke of New York, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Ms. Kamlager-Dove, Ms. Strickland, Ms. Tokuda, Mr. Mrvan, Mr. Frost, Mr. Veasey, Ms. Titus, Mr. Kennedy of New York, Mr. Courtney, Ms. Meng, Ms. Simon, Ms. Scanlon, Mr. Panetta, Mr. Green of Texas, Ms. Williams of Georgia, Mrs. Sykes, Ms. Sewell, Mr. Meeks, Ms. Bynum, Mrs. McClain Delaney, and Mr. Landsman) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
Honoring Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., by celebrating diversity, promoting tolerance, and condemning hate.
Whereas the Nation will celebrate the 97th anniversary of the birth of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., on Monday, January 19, 2026;
Whereas Dr. King taught that the blessing of diversity is our strength;
Whereas Dr. King fought, marched, and preached for the inalienable rights of all people, particularly Black Americans;
Whereas among these rights is the inviolable right of every person to cast their vote and make their voice heard in a representative democracy;
Whereas tolerance for one another’s difference in race, ethnicity, gender, culture, religion, sexual orientation, age, or disability is a profound virtue;
Whereas civil discourse in a land of democratic freedom is the true promise of our country; and
Whereas Dr. King once wrote in his 1963 Letter from a Birmingham Jail, Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly
: Now, therefore, be it
That the House of Representatives—
(1)
celebrates the 97th anniversary of the birthday of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., on January 19, 2026, which shall serve as a reminder that hate and hateful conduct based on differences has no place in the United States in tribute to his life and teachings;
(2)
affirms the words of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider anywhere within its bounds
;
(3)
honors the life, legacy, works, and heroism of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.;
(4)
condemns any form of harassment, discrimination, or prejudice targeted at any minority ethnic group, including the Black community, Indigenous people, the Jewish community, the Asian-American and Pacific Islander community, the Muslim community, and the Hispanic and Latino communities;
(5)
condemns any form of harassment, discrimination, or prejudice based on a person’s gender, including the trans community and LGBTQ+ individuals;
(6)
abhors the violence and animus that led to the untimely death of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; and
(7)
calls on all people across the Nation and the world to uphold Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s values and teachings of justice, equality, peace, advocacy, and tolerance.