SENATE RESOLUTION

8603

BySenators Saldaña, Braun, Hasegawa, Hobbs, Hunt, Keiser, Billig, Brown, Cleveland, Conway, Darneille, Das, Dhingra, Frockt, Gildon, Kuderer, Lovelett, Nguyen, Pedersen, Randall, Robinson, Van De Wege, Wellman, Wilson, C., Wilson, J., and Wilson, L.

WHEREAS, Today, the third Monday in January, we remember and honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who became a beacon of hope for actualizing racial equality in our nation; and

WHEREAS, 2021 marks the 53rd anniversary of Dr. King's murder; and

WHEREAS, Dr. King used his gift of oration to awaken America to the struggles of disenfranchised communities, particularly African-Americans, through nonviolent means; and

WHEREAS, This session the Senate welcomes its first Black senator in 10 years, Senator T'wina Nobles; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., encouraged others through his dedication to achieving equality. He once said, "Life's most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?"; and

WHEREAS, Dr. King's unwavering support for the principles of racial justice and social equality helped transform America; and

WHEREAS, Black communities have been disproportionately affected by the effects of the coronavirus pandemic; and

WHEREAS, An immense public outcry following the recent police killing of George Floyd – a Black man – called for immediate real actions toward eliminating systemic racism and police misuse of deadly force; and

WHEREAS, Dr. King's steadfast pursuit of fairness encouraged others, as exemplified in his famous "Letter from Birmingham Jail," in which he said, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.";

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Senate, in recognition of the courageous leadership and legacy of hope demonstrated by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., honor his memory by urging all citizens of our state to continue the legacy of Dr. King by condemning racism in all its forms and advancing a more perfect union where all people experience fair treatment under our laws.

I, Brad Hendrickson, Secretary of the Senate,

do hereby certify that this is a true and

correct copy of Senate Resolution 8603,

adopted by the Senate

January 18, 2021

BRAD HENDRICKSON

Secretary of the Senate