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UPDATED: 16 Jan 2008 GMT
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Speeches 2007

Martin Luther King, Jr. Drum Major Award for Justice

Venue: American Embassy, Dar es Salaam.

January 23, 2007

Remarks by U.S. Ambassador Michael L. Retzer

Habari za asubuhi?
Asanteni kwa kuja kwenu leo, na karibuni nyote sana.
(Good morning and welcome!)

I am delighted that so many of you accepted our invitation to join us this morning, as we bestow this year's Drum Major Award for Justice upon Mzee Rashid Mfaume Kawawa. This award is a living tribute to the life of the reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The Drum Major award recognizes an individual that embodies the ideals that mirror Dr. King's life and his work to advance the cause of human dignity and equality.

Last Monday, on January 15, we celebrated the 21st anniversary of the Martin Luther King holiday--it is a day that honors the pre-eminent figure of the civil rights movement in the United States. Each year, we commemorate the life of Dr. King to remind all of us about the remarkable struggle of African-Americans to achieve equality, a struggle that helped all Americans realize the potential of our great nation.

My home state—Mississippi—is located in the South where much of the civil rights movement transpired. Due in large part to Dr. King’s efforts, in the span of only one generation, the southern part of the United States was transformed from one in which local and state laws were used to segregate people, to a society that no longer tolerated such laws. I have known many people living in Mississippi who witnessed the worst of the injustices and have attested to the positive difference that Dr. King’s efforts made throughout the American south and indeed the entire country.

Dr. King is a hero and an icon to many Americans, as his life represents just how much a single individual can influence or change an entire nation. Steadfast in his commitment, he walked tall in the face of danger, hatred, and bigotry--and demonstrated the moral superiority of tolerance and non-violence over injustice and prejudice. Dr. King had one goal in life: to make America better, both for the oppressed and the oppressor. Dr. King succeeded magnificently in his work and he set America free. For this, he paid the ultimate price on April 4, 1968.

The details of Dr. King’s life have become legendary, including his leadership of tens of thousands of people to resist segregated busing in Montgomery, Alabama. Most of us have heard his “I Have a Dream” speech that was delivered on the steps of the Lincoln Monument in Washington, D.C. We will hear a bit of his speech in a moment; it continues to inspire us all to work together towards achieving his vision of a tolerant society. This speech truly redirected the wheels of history and helped turn the United States into a more perfect union by speaking directly to the conscience of all who cherish peace, and rallied our nation around the symbols of justice and hope.

Neither the strivings nor the consequences of the civil rights movement were limited to the shores of the United States. It was no coincidence that the civil rights movement culminated at the same time as many of the independence movements in Africa. Underlying both movements was the desire to stand on the human stage as completely equal and as completely free as any other person. Both were attempts to confirm the commonality of us all.

This year's recipient of the Drum Major Award for Justice, Mzee Rashid Mfaume Kawawa, was at the forefront of mobilizing Tanzania’s independence movement. Mzee Kawawa, as a long-serving public official, worked tirelessly –much of the time alongside Tanzania’s First President, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, to help Tanzanians achieve their own dream of independence. Mwalimu Nyerere was able to accomplish as much as he did, because he had people who faithfully assisted him throughout his tenure.

Today, I hope you will all join me in thanking Mzee Kawawa for all he accomplished for the people of Tanzania and the development of this nation. He has, like Dr. King, played a key role in opening people’s minds to change. Mzee Kawawa made the bold move of calling for the rights of laborers, women, and religious freedom to be respected. Mzee Kawawa in many ways represents the very ideals espoused by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Thank you for being here today and accepting this prestigious award.

Asenteni sana!