WILMINGTON, Del., Jan. 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- DuPont Chairman and CEO Charles O. Holliday, Jr. today announced the company will contribute $1 million toward the development of the national memorial in Washington, D.C., to commemorate the life and work of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Speaking at the 16th annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Celebration in Wilmington, Holliday said, "The memorial will honor not only a great man, but also the values he lived by. This contribution is another step in our long tradition of supporting commemorations that honor Dr. King. This support dates back to our leadership in joining others to have this day declared a national holiday. We look forward to the day when a fitting memorial to Dr. King is dedicated in Washington."
DuPont was represented on the MLK federal holiday commission that was responsible for creating the first national Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday in 1986. DuPont has sponsored a "Day of Celebration" since 1991 for its employees and the community.
On September 28, 1996, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a joint resolution authorizing the establishment of a memorial in Washington, D.C., to honor Dr. King. The memorial will evoke the memory and spiritual presence of Dr. King. The mission of the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc. is to develop a memorial that "will honor not only a great man, but the values that empowered his leadership, including courage and truth, unconditional love and forgiveness, justice and equality, reconciliation and peace."
The Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial will be designed to convey four fundamental and recurring themes of Dr. King's life: democracy, justice, hope and love. The Foundation's "Build the Dream" campaign seeks to raise an estimated $100 million to build the memorial. For more information about the memorial, visit http://www.mlkmemorial.org/.
DuPont is a science-based products and services company. Founded in 1802, DuPont puts science to work by creating sustainable solutions essential to a better, safer, healthier life for people everywhere. Operating in more than 70 countries, DuPont offers a wide range of innovative products and services for markets including agriculture and food; building and construction; communications; and transportation.
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