Today, Americans pause to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., one of history’s greatest civil rights icons.
At the height of the U.S. civil rights movement, Dr. King rallied our nation to live up to the promise of full equality under the law, without regard to race, color, or creed. His dream of a nation in which Americans were judged not “by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character” echoes through the ages.
The NYGOP is proud of the Republican Party’s history of fighting for civil rights. Founded as the anti-slavery party, Republicans fought to amend the Constitution to grant African-Americans freedom, citizenship and the right to vote. Civil rights legislation from the 1860’s to the 1960’s was passed with strong Republican support.
Republicans started the NAACP and President Nixon’s 1969 Philadelphia Plan, crafted by African-American Republican Art Fletcher, set the nation’s first goals and timetables to increase African-American employment to offset institutionalized discrimination.
We encourage all New Yorkers to take a moment to consider the lasting impact of Dr. King’s ideals and their continuing relevance today.
