Proclamations Proc. 7519 by content of their character." Dr. King's words were not just a call to change our laws, but they also se\177ved as a challenge to all Americans to change their hearts by refusing to judge people by their skin color or their national origin, by their race or their religion. For while we have made progress, there is much work to be done, both at home and abroad. In the face of massive injustice, Dr. King's unwavering commitment to non- violent means of bringing the people of our Nation together provided a foundation for healing and trust. That trust brought us through our recent tragedy as we reached out to each other without regard to race or religion. Dr. King spent his life working for those who held the uncelebrated jobs in our communities--people who simply performed their work with dig- nity and pride. The words from his Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech of 1964, spoken about the workers in the freedom movement, still ring true for those men and women who unselfishly attempted to rescue innocent persons in the World Trade Center buildings and at the Pentagon: Most of these people will never make the headlines and their names will not appear in Who's Who. Yet when years have rolled past and when the blazing light of truth is focused on this marvelous age in which we live-- men and women will know and children will be taught that we have a finer land, a better people, a more noble civilization--because these hum- ble children of God were willing to suffer for righteousness' sake. We are so thankful for those "humble children of God," and we are thank- ful for the life and times of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. His abiding faith in America has helped us become a fairer and more colorblind society. NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, 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 2% 2002, as the Martin Luther King, Jr., Federal Holiday. I encourage Americans to obse\177ve this day with appropriate community programs, gatherings, and civic activities that honor the memory and the legacy of Dr. King. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this seventeenth day of January, in the year of our Lord two thousand two, and of the Independ- ence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-sixth. GEORGE W. BUSH Proclamation 7519 of January 18, 2002 National Mentoting Month, 2002 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation National Mentoting Month allows us to recognize the important contribu- tions made by the millions of our fallow citizens who choose to strengthen our Nation by giving their time, effort, and heart to serve as a mentor and role model for a young person. Through quality education programs, com- munity initiatives, and personal involvement, mentors help our children become better citizens by showing them how to make the right choices, to work hard, and to care for their neighbors in need. Mentors play an impor- 3
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