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RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GAHANNA TO HONOR MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY AND TO RECOGNIZE REV. JOEL L. KING, JR.
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WHEREAS, Martin Luther King Jr. Day is observed nationally on the third Monday of January to honor the birthday of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the civil rights activist who championed nonviolent and anti-poverty activism in the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 1960s; and
WHEREAS, Martin Luther King Jr. Day was enacted on November 2, 1983 when President Ronald Reagan signed a bill proposed by Representative Katie Hall of Indiana to create a federal holiday honoring King. President Reagan in 1988 stated, "We're here today to honor a man who dedicated his life to the pursuit of a dream. In honoring one man's commitment, we're also rededicating ourselves to the fundamental principle behind that dream ... that it is self-evident that all men are created equal and that they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights. Today we still cherish these rights. The fight for genuine equality still goes on."
WHEREAS, this Martin Luther King Jr. Day was the 34th anniversary of the federally recognized holiday, with the first observation of the holiday occurring on January 20, 1986;
WHEREAS, the observation of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and the recognition of Rev. King remain important to American history and that our continued commitment and rededication to equality and opportunity is necessary today as always; and
WHEREAS, Rev. Joel L. King, Jr., the son of the brother of the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Sr. is a long-time resident of Gahanna, Ohio; and
WHEREAS, Rev. Joel L. King, Jr. has served as Chaplain of the Gahanna Division of Police since 2001 and as Chaplain for Columbus Division of Fire and Columbus Division of Police since 2000, in addition to his service as Pastor of area churches and member of the Baptist Ministerial Alliance of Columbus and Vicinity; and
WHEREAS, Gahanna has ben...
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