PROCLAMATION 7391-JAN. 15, 2001 115 STAT. 2561 ideals of liberty, equality, brotherhood, and justice are not merely words on a page, but values honored by all. "Our freedom was not won a century ago," he said in 1968, "it is not won today; but some small part of it is in our hands, and we are marching no longer by ones and twos but in legions of thousands, convinced now it cannot be denied by any human force." It is up to each of us to continue that march. The gallant freedom riders and freedom fighters of the civil rights era are growing older, and many, like Martin Luther King, Jr., are no longer among us. But their work must go on. There are still too many in our Nation who do not share equally in America's prosperity; minority unemployment and poverty rates, while decreasing, are still far above the national average; and the technical skills and resources needed for success in the global economy are still out of reach for hundreds of thousands of young Americans growing up in disadvantaged communities. I encourage my fellow Americans to use this holiday, dedicated to the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and to his spirit of service, not as a day off, but rather as a day to make a difference in the lives of others—an opportunity to recognize where we have fallen short, to reach out to those who have been left behind, and to remove the barriers that keep us from becoming the promised land that Dr. King envisioned. NOW, THEREFORE, l, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim Monday, January 15, 2001, as the Martin Luther King, Jr., Federal Holiday. I call upon all Americans to observe this occasion with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities in honor of Dr. King's life and achievements and in response to his call to service. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twelfth day of January, in the year of our Lord two thousand one, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-fifth. WILLIAM J. CLINTON Proclamation 7391 of January 15, 2001 Religious Freedom Day, 2001 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation Each year we commemorate the anniversary of the religious freedom statute adopted by the Virginia legislature in 1786. This statute, which reflects the wisdom and foresight of its author, Thomas Jefferson, and Its cosponsor, James Madison, became the model for the First Amendment to our Constitution, and it has had enormous and far-reaching consequences for the life of our Nation. Just a few weeks ago, we saw how much that freedom means to all of us, as we celebrated Christmas, Hanukkah, and the Eid Al-Fitr within the same week. These holidays belonging to the Christian, Jewish, and
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