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Insights > Entergy Celebrates Dr. King Through Service
Entergy Celebrates Dr. King Through Service
01/18/2021
The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech was delivered before an audience of 250,000 at the March on Washington on Aug. 28, 1963, at the Lincoln Memorial in the nation's capital. It was the largest crowd in the history of the capital at that time. Dr. King's speech impressed on the crowd and the government that the plight of African Americans was in dire straits 100 years after slavery ended when President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 and worked with Congress to pass the 13th amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1865. He referred to the Declaration of Independence, which states that we hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal.
Dr. King emphasized that even in 1963 African Americans were still not free and they were not being treated equally. He said, "But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free, one hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination; one hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity…"
Later, Dr. King dreamed. "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."
Entergy observes his legacy by giving back to the communities we serve. We celebrate his life's work fighting for racial justice and equality for all.
The March on Washington and Dr. King's speech have been credited with winning the support of Congress and President Lyndon B. Johnson for the approval of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the Fair Housing Act of 1968.
We celebrate his life's work fighting for racial justice and equality for all.
On Nov. 3, 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed a bill marking the third Monday of January as Martin Luther King Jr. Day. In honor of Martin Luther King Jr's Day, Entergy employees volunteer to participate in several Day of Service in-person events across our service area.
Entergy observes his legacy by continuing to give back to the communities we serve. The federal holiday allows us to put his teachings into action and help the community address social problems. Employees are encouraged to celebrate MLK Day through service projects, working together to support communities and generate solutions.
MLK Day of Service supports our company's mission to create sustainable value for our communities through volunteerism and philanthropy.
