The Hill News

Good morning, and welcome to the Denver MLK Marade. Thank you for the privilege of celebrating with you one of the fathers of our civil liberties, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I was a teenager when he died almost 43 years ago. But I wasn’t too young to recognize how Dr. King’s work was already shaping my generation.

Dr. King was instrumental in not just shining a light on the right to equality for all people, but he also lived and breathed the example of how to reach for hope and progress together, peacefully. He showed that fighting injustice doesn’t have to bring us down to base actions, but can instead lift us to serve the common good.

As I look out at all of the Coloradans gathered here for one of the nation’s largest MLK celebrations, I know that Dr. King’s legacy still has meaning to our country today. Dr. King’s dedication to tolerance, peace and understanding continues to guide us all as we work to make our communities better place! s for our children. The key to progress is to always believe we have room to grow as individuals and as a community; there are always new challenges to face and better ways to transcend.

We started this year in sadness. And as we talk about the tone of our political discourse, Dr. King’s voice becomes even more relevant. Although we have our different ideas and methods to improve our nation, it is our commitment to our collective success that drives and binds us. More than ever, let us be guided by Dr. King’s example. As he did, let us treat others with respect and civility â€" even â€" and maybe especially â€" when we disagree. By doing so, we can further Dr. King’s dream for a better world.