In his famous speech at the Lincoln Memorial, Dr. King declared that in writing the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, our forefathers were in effect signing a promissory note that every American would inherit. Dr. King's lifetime struggle was to ensure that this note - or as he put it, "the riches of freedom and the security of justice" - be paid in full to all citizens. This is the struggle to which we are called to dedicate ourselves.

Dr. King's dreams for this nation are deeply woven into both HUD's history and our ongoing work. Our mission is service to others, and our programs reach out to Americans of every race, color, and creed. We extend a hand to those without shelter, the sick and those with disabilities, the elderly and the poor. We support the charitable work of America's community of faith. And legislation passed by Congress just one week after Dr. King's assassination - the Fair Housing Act - rests at the very heart of so much of our work.

The Martin Luther King, Jr., Federal Holiday is a time when Americans demonstrate their commitment to these ideals with an outpouring of community service. I call upon the men and women of HUD to embrace this holiday as a "day on," not a day off, and to do so with an energetic rededication to the great goals of freedom, justice, and peace.

In his "Letter from a Birmingham Jail," Dr. King closed with hopeful words that still inspire: "Let us all hope that the dark clouds of racial prejudice will soon pass away and the deep fog of misunderstanding will be lifted from our fear-drenched communities, and in some not too distant tomorrow the radiant stars of love and brotherhood will shine over our great nation with all their scintillating beauty."

- Secretary Mel Martinez