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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release January 19,1997

                         Administration Events 
       in Honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service

January 19, 1998

Members of the President's Cabinet have taken up the challenge of honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by making Monday, January 19 a day on rather than a day off. Members of the Cabinet and the Advisory Board of the President's Initiative on Race will participate in events with AmeriCorps members, Martin Luther King, Jr. grantees, and City Year Youth honorees, in addition to other events relating to their agencies, service commitments and policy initiatives.

Below is a description of what the Cabinet and Advisory Board are doing in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Cabinet Department of the Treasury
On January 15, Secretary Rubin delivered a speech at Jesse Jackson's Wall Street Project conference in New York City.

Department of Defense
Deputy Secretary Hamre will participate in a Washington, D.C.,Young Marines Unit mentoring event with kids, parents, and mentors honoring Dr. King.

Department of Justice
On January 19, Attorney General Reno will visit Jackson, Mississippi to hold a town hall meeting on service and to help rebuild a home that was donated to Habitat for Humanity. Joining the Attorney General will be AmeriCorps volunteers, U.S. Attorney Pigott, and others from the community.

On January 19, Acting Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Bill Lann Lee will participate in a MLK, Jr. Day event in Detroit, MI. He will speak on hate crimes at an event sponsored by Focus:Hope, the Federal Bar Association, and the Wolverine Bar.

Department of Interior
On January 19, Secretary Babbitt will be in Philadelphia, joining Mayor Rendell and Dr. Deloris Tucker in the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Association's annual luncheon and commemorative bell ringing. Secretary Babbitt will speak on the ethic of service at the luncheon.

United States Department of Agriculture On January 19, Secretary Glickman will attend an Operation Push for Excellence breakfast in Chicago, IL with Reverend Jesse Jackson, Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. and Senator Carol Moseley-Braun.

Department of Labor
On January 15, Secretary Herman traveled with the President to New York City for Jesse Jackson's Wall Street Project conference. On January 16, she will host an MLK celebration at the Department of Labor with Martin Luther King III.

Department of Health and Human Services On January 19, Secretary Shalala will serve breakfast to homeless veterans at the Maryland Center for Veterans Education and Training, Inc. in Baltimore.

Department of Transportation On January 19, Secretary Slater will participate in King Center events with the Vice President in Atlanta, Georgia. He will also participate in the Do Something service activities.

Department of Energy
On January 15, Secretary Pea gave a keynote address at the Energy Department's Forrestal Auditorium. On January 20, the Secretary will also participate in a community service initiative with the Department of Energy's Adopt-a-School.

Department of Education
On January 19, Secretary Riley is participating, along with the First Lady, in a DC Reads literacy fair in Washington, D.C., with the Corporation for National Service at the MCI center. This program will focus on instilling the value of reading in children by giving away free books, library cards, and simple lectures on Dr. King's philosophy.

Department of Veterans Affairs
On January 10, Acting Secretary West gave a keynote address in Chicago, IL at the 26th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dinner held by the Minority Economic Resources Corporation.

Environmental Protection Agency
On January 15, Administrator Browner delivered remarks to commemorate the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., to employees of the EPA and the U.S. Customs Agency.

Council of Economic Advisors
On January 19, Chair Yellen will join children in Washington, D.C., from the Horton's Kids mentoring and tutoring program as they serve the community. Children from the Horton's Kids program will prepare food for the homeless at Martha's Table.

Office of Management and Budget
On January 19, Director Raines will participate in the Washington, D.C., Horton's Kids program at Martha's Table with Chair Yellen.

Small Business Administration On January 19, Administrator Alvarez will participate in a program at Sarah House in Washington D.C. This program is run by Howard University students who plan to teach non-violence and conflict resolution to children in the Shaw community through games, presentations, entertainment, and toy exchanges (violent toys for educational toys).

Office of Personnel Management
On Janury 19, Director Lachance will be in Connecticut working with AmeriCorps members at the Volunteer Center for Greater Bridgeport. The holiday will kick off four months of service, including recruiting 200 young people for 10 hours of service, visiting nursing homes, helping out with a pregnant teen support program, and designing and painting a mural. Senator Dodd will also participate.

General Services Administration
On Janury 19, Administrator Barram will host a One America: Conversation in Washington, D.C. at the Cannon House Office Building with 150 high school students. The focus of this dialogue is to provide the audience of Jewish and African-American students with tangible skills to combat discrimination.

Social Security Administration
On January 15, Commissioner Apfel hosted SSA's Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast in Baltimore, MD. On January 19, he will participate in the Capitol Area Food Bank project with AmeriCorps and community volunteers to sort food that has been donated in order to get it ready for distribution.

The President's Initiative on Race Advisory Board

John Hope Franklin
On January 19, Dr. Franklin will accompany the Vice President to Atlanta for MLK Day activities.

Linda Chavez Thompson
On January 19th, Ms. Thompson will be in Silver Spring, MD to participate in service activities held by the Montgomery County Volunteer and Community Service Center, River Road Unitarian Church, and People's Community Baptist Church. This project connects churches of different ethnic and racial backgrounds with children from the Montgomery County Police Activities League (PAL) and will present a living memorial to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr..

Reverend Suzan Johnson Cook
On January 18, Reverend Cook will be joining the New York Metropolitan Martin Luther King Center for Non-Violence in the Bronx. She will also join hundreds of people at the Central Synagogue in Manhattan for a silent prayer march. On January 19, the Reverend will be speaking at the Riverhead Church 13th annual breakfast honoring Martin Luther King, Jr. at the Radisson Hotel.

Angela Oh
On January 19, Ms. Oh will be the keynote speaker at the Varsity Theater in Davis, CA. She will be speaking on race relations in the 21st century. After her speech, Ms. Oh will engage the audience in a community forum on race relations in America. The Human Relations Commission is the sponsor of this event for the City of Davis.

Robert Thomas
On January 19, Mr. Thomas will be attending the Naugle Amaturo Theater at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida celebration in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Governor William Winter
On January 19, Governor Winter will be the keynote luncheon speaker at the Itawamba County (Mississippi) Community Summit. During the morning session, the invitees will be dispersed into five different groups depending on their area of focus (education, youth, economy, health, and quality of life). These groups will discuss what they can do in the future to help Itawamba County.

Judith A. Winston
On January 19, Ms. Winston will accompany the Vice President to Atlanta for MLK Day activities.