Greeting from the Commission

It was on Monday, January 20, 1986, that Connecticut, observed and celebrated the first  holiday in honor of Dr. King’s message of nonviolence and service.

The Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday honors the State of Connecticut as well as it honors Martin Luther King Jr. It is a time for rejoicing and reflecting.

We rejoice because in his short life, Dr King, by his preaching, by his example and by his leadership, helped to move us closer to the ideals on which this nation was founded.

We reflect on his words and his works. Dr. King‘s was truly a prophetic voice that reached out over the valleys of hostility, the mountains of prejudice, and the deep seeded grounds of ignorance, to touch the conscience of America.

He challenged us to make real the promise of America as a land of freedom, a land of equality, a land of opportunity, and a land of brotherhood.

The majesty of his message, the dignity of his bearing and the righteousness of his cause are his lasting legacy.

We have a full agenda to make real the dream for America and the world that we live in.

The challenges we face are too daunting just to sing about. We must work to create the beloved world community Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. envisioned.

Somehow we must harness the genius of humanity, thereby achieving the noble goal of making peace and prosperity, a reality for all nations and all people of the world.

We welcome you to join this commission in keeping the dream and the dreamer alive.