Speeches & Editorials
"Honoring Martin Luther King"
By Ambassador Roland E. Arnall
January 2007
I take great pride as the United States Ambassador to the Netherlands in honoring the memory and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King as we celebrate the 78th anniversary of his birth on January 15.
Five years ago, President Bush proclaimed Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday a national holiday, in recognition of his “commitment to stand peacefully for the conviction that all men are created equal.” Dr. King dreamed of the day when people would be judged not “by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” Inspired by his words and his actions, we have made great progress toward achieving that dream. Of course, much remains to be done.
We are often asked how the United States has made progress in achieving integration. Our progress is in part due to promoting open and honest discussion among all who have a stake in living in a just society. I have been inspired in my position as Ambassador by Dr. King’s message of inclusion and tolerance. Here at the U.S. Mission to the Netherlands, we are working to enhance cross-cultural understanding through dialogue between American and Dutch citizens from all walks of life. We have sought to celebrate the diversity in each of our cultures, to acknowledge the skills and talents each of us brings to our community, and to recognize that while our backgrounds differ, we all contribute to enriching our societies. We began last November with a conference that brought together Dutch and American Muslims, along with NGO’s, government officials and others, to discuss ways to achieve fuller participation in our societies, and look forward to continuing that dialogue over the coming months.
Dr. King’s mission remains relevant today, in the United States and around the world. His lessons of tolerance and his legacy of non-violent change provide the roadmap for creating a world in which his dreams for inclusiveness become reality. I am proud to represent the land that he called home.