Press Releases 2009
U.S. Embassy Opens Martin Luther King Reading Room at the Islamabad Club
August 20, 2009
Islamabad - U.S. Embassy Public Affairs Counselor Gonzalo R. Gallegos officially opened the Martin Luther King (MLK) Reading Room at the Islamabad Club in a ceremony today.
The MLK Reading Room will be a resource for those who need current, accurate information on all aspects of U.S. culture, economy, politics, history and arts. In addition to reference materials, books, magazines, videos, and DVDs, the Room has an audio-visual facility so that users can watch documentaries and movies.
"We are confident that the Martin Luther King Reading Room will be a useful addition to our efforts to reach out to the people of Pakistan and will both symbolize and serve the cause of mutual understanding and the partnership between our two countries and peoples," said Mr. Gallegos on the occasion.
The MLK Reading Room is named for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the Civil Rights movement. King's efforts led to the 1963 March on Washington, where King delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech. There, he raised public consciousness of the civil rights movement and established himself as one of the greatest orators in U.S. history. In 1964, King became the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for his work to end racial segregation and discrimination through civil disobedience and non-violent protest. King was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee. He was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1977 and Congressional Gold Medal in 2004; Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was established as a U.S. national holiday in 1986.
The MLK Reading Room is the latest center opened by the U.S. Embassy in Pakistan. In addition, facilities called "Lincoln Corners" are well-established in Islamabad, Peshawar, Karachi and Muzaffarabad and the Susan B. Anthony Reading Room was recently dedicated at Fatima Jinnah Women University.