WASHINGTON, DC—Assistant Democratic Leader James E. Clyburn today issued the following statement in recognition of Martin Luther King Jr. Day:

“As we pause to celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., I urge all Americans to remember his teachings on social justice.  Dr. King is well known for his fight for racial equality, however, he was also a powerful voice for those living in poverty.   We are missing his voice in the current dialogue as we witness the wealth gap growing ever wider and see candidates running for president denigrating the poor and most vulnerable among us. 

“Dr. King once said, ‘If man is to redeem his spiritual and moral "lag," he must go all out to bridge the social and economic gulf between the "haves" and the "have nots" of the world.’  Instead of bridging the gulf, a segment of our society takes sport in demeaning the less fortunate.   They would do well to remember Dr. King’s words, ‘The agony of the poor diminishes the rich, and the salvation of the poor enlarges the rich.’ ”