Representative Adriano Espaillat Statement Recognizing the Life and Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

NEW YORK, N.Y. – Representative Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) released the following statement in recognition of the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and to reiterate his call to the Senate to defend our democracy with passage of the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act, which passed in the House last week.

“Today we honor the extraordinary life’s work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and reflect on his efforts to advance America’s civil rights, voting rights, and to ensure equity for all,” said Rep. Espaillat. “Dr. King’s principles sparked a movement and set forth numerous actions to increase inclusivity, racial justice, and equity through peaceful demonstrations exemplified by the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the March in Washington and his ‘I Have a Dream’ speech, and the Voting Rights Act, amongst others.

“Dr. King played a pivotal role in ending racial segregation and changing the dialogue of race relations in America. His leadership and legacy paved the way for social justice movements including today’s engagement that continues to impact the lives of minorities, immigrants, and vulnerable communities around the nation.

“Through his peaceful demonstrations, Dr. King changed American discourse, yet still much work remains before our nation fully realizes Dr. King’s dream – and that is achieved by ensuring the most basic of our fundamental rights are protected.

“Dr. King’s legacy reminds every American that fighting for our rights is a quintessential civic duty and today, as we pause in commemoration of this American hero, I urge my colleagues in the Senate to remove the filibuster to protect our democracy and reaffirm our commitment to Dr. King’s dream to uphold our American values and ensure justice and equality for all."