LEWISTON, ME – In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) released the following statement:

“Through his leadership and his example, Martin Luther King, Jr. imbued in this country lessons of hope, equality, and unity that we as a nation continue to learn from today. And though we have made great strides towards his dream of a more just America, there is still progress to be made. That’s why those of us who share Dr. King’s dream have a responsibility to carry forward his mantle of tolerance, to meet hate with love, to try to understand rather than vilify, and to promote hope over despair, so that we can move yet another step closer to achieving that more perfect union founded upon liberty and justice for all.”

This morning, Senator King delivered remarks at the Martin Luther King Jr. Day Observance at Bates College in Lewiston where he reflected on the life and legacy of Dr. King and on his personal experiences during the Civil Rights Movement, including the opportunity as a college student to witness Dr. King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech on the National Mall in 1963.

This evening, Senator King will also attend and speak at the NAACP Portland Branch’s 35^th annual MLK Holiday Celebration.

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