Obama pays tribute to Martin Luther King

Source: Xinhua | 01-20-2009 08:05

WASHINGTON, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President-elect Barack Obama on Monday paid tribute to the late African-American civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr., one day before he is inaugurated.

A woman walks past a mural of U.S. President-elect Barack Obama and Martin Luther King Jr. in  Washington January 19, 2009.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

"Today, we celebrate the life of a preacher who, more than forty-five years ago, stood on our national mall in the shadow of Lincoln and shared his dream for our nation. His was a vision that all Americans might share the freedom to make of our lives what we will; that our children might climb higher than we would," Obama said in a statement.

"Martin Luther King's was a life lived in loving service to others. As we honor that legacy, it's not a day just to pause and reflect -- it's a day to act," he continued.

The president-elect urged the Americans "to turn today's efforts into an ongoing commitment to enriching the lives of others in their communities, their cities, and their country."

Monday is the Martin Luther King Day, a federal holiday that commemorates the Jan. 15, 1929, birth of King, who advocated peaceful resistance and equality among all races and the day is traditionally marked by taking part in volunteer activities for the public good.

According to the schedule, Obama will spend the day attending community projects in Washington in memory of King, who was assassinated in 1968.