GOVERNOR PATERSON STATEMENT ON THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DEATH OF DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

Today I join the nation in honoring the enduring legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., whose fight for the equality of all people continues 40 years after his death.

Dr. King’s message to us was clear: the issue is injustice, and only by standing together can we change our national mindset. This evolution must happen in government, in schools, in business and in our own homes. We have made great strides since Dr. King’s time, but we also know that the fight for civil rights and social justice is far from over.

We must fight discrimination in the workplace, including closing the earning gap between men and women. We must ensure that all children have an equal opportunity to succeed by providing them with health care and access to the best public education. And we must continue to fight the poverty and hunger that is shameful in a nation as wealthy as ours. As long as economic barriers stand, justice will remain an empty promise.

The day before his assassination, Dr. King delivered this message to a group of striking workers in Memphis, a call-to-action that resounds today: “For when people get caught up with that which is right and they are willing to sacrifice for it, there is no stopping point short of victory.”