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This is an archived USAID document retained on this web site as a matter of public record.
Remarks by
at the Commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
USAID Acting Administrator Don Pressley
January 23, 2001
Good morning everyone.
Before I begin, let me take a moment on behalf of all of my USAID colleagues here and abroad to welcome and congratulate our newest Secretary of State, Colin Powell.
Mr. Secretary, let me assure you that at USAID, we stand ready-as you have said-to help move the transforming world toward more and more freedom, increasing prosperity, and a wider peace. Indeed this is our mission, and we look forward to working with you to achieve it.
Ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of the Agency for International Development, it is also my deep pleasure to join all of you today to commemorate the life and legacy of one of the great leaders of the twentieth century-the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.
Dr. King was one of the greatest leaders because he led not by fear but by compassion and love. His cause was not conquest, but justice.
He gave birth to a dream that lives on even today-not just in the hearts of Americans, but in the hearts of those around the world.
Over the years, I have been fortunate enough to have lived in many countries and have made friends of many different nationalities.
And I have learned one thing above all others: that people around the world look to America for leadership not because we are powerful, or wealthy, but because we live by our ideals.
Freedom, equality, justice-these are the very hallmarks of our democracy, and these are the principles for which Dr. King fought.
At USAID, these are also the principles for which we fight.
From Bolivia to Nigeria to India, we help people make their communities freer, healthier, and more prosperous. And in the process, we help make our world a better place to live.
On this, the seventy-second anniversary of Dr. King's birth, let us take a moment to remember the man who did so much to help make America great.
And as we honor his legacy, let us also pledge to spread his message of freedom and opportunity to our neighbors-whether they live across the street or across the ocean.
For, as I think Dr. King understood, we are at our best when we promote and defend our ideals as ardently abroad as we do at home.
Thank you.
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Last Updated on: January 02, 2009 |
