January 17, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 10 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session

[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E61-E62]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   RECOGNIZING THE MARTIN LUTHER KING COMMEMORATIVE COMMITTEE OF THE 
                            COACHELLA VALLEY

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. RAUL RUIZ

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, January 17, 2019

  Mr. RUIZ. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Martin Luther 
King Commemorative Committee of the Coachella Valley for their 
dedication to celebrating the life and legacy of Dr. King.
  Since 1986, the MLK Commemorative Committee has kept Dr. King's 
commitment to civil rights, nonviolence, and grassroots activism alive. 
Every year, they have demonstrated to our Desert community that the 
values Dr. King preached--justice, love, respect--are as important 
today as they were during his lifetime.
  This committee was born from the vision and service of Mr. Joseph 
Beaver, a lifetime civil rights advocate and community leader. 
Answering the call to service during World War II, Mr. Beaver was one 
of the first African Americans to join the Marine Corps.
  We are blessed by Mr. Beaver's advocacy for social justice, which has 
inspired and enriched our valley. To this day, he remains on the 
frontlines fighting for civil rights here in our community. In 2014, it 
was my honor to present Mr. Beaver with the Congressional Gold Medal 
for his accomplishments as a service member and civil rights leader.
  While the manifestations of racism and prejudice may have changed, 
the injustice Dr. King battled endures today. Racism endures. 
Inequality endures. Dr. King prophesized that the arc of history bends 
toward justice, but the road there has never been smooth.
  As we remember Dr. King, we cannot relegate him to the history books. 
To keep his legacy alive, we must stand up to hatred, white supremacy, 
and the systematic racism that continues to plague our nation. In doing 
so, we embrace the values Dr. King lived: justice, equality, and the 
courage to do what is right.
  That is the mission of the Commemorative Committee: not to simply 
remember Dr. King once a year, but to inspire us to carry on his spirit 
in our hearts and enact his vision of love and equality. It's a message 
of freedom that, through their efforts, rings across the Coachella 
Valley and every valley, hill, and stream across our nation.
  On behalf of the residents of California's thirty-sixth congressional 
district, I congratulate the Martin Luther King Commemorative Committee 
of the Coachella Valley for their commitment to celebrating the life of 
Dr. Martin Luther King. I thank them for their service to our 
community.

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