WHEREAS, the third Monday of each January is observed as Martin Luther King Jr. Day; and

WHEREAS, the observance was first declared in 1968, following the civil rights leader’s assassination, to honor and remember Dr. King’s lifetime and legacy of peaceful civil rights advocacy; and

WHEREAS, Salt Lake City remains committed to honoring Dr. King’s legacy by ensuring that diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging for all remain driving forces for what our City sets out to do; and

WHEREAS, in 2022, my office and the Salt Lake City Council made great strides towards acknowledging and addressing racial injustice by unanimously passing the CEDAW/Gender Equity Ordinance which seeks to ensure equity for women and girls in terms of economic development, safety, education, and delivery of city services; additionally, we established a citywide Language Access Policy to guide City departments on creating and distributing translated materials; and

WHEREAS, our City continues its efforts to negate gentrification of our historic and traditionally diverse neighborhoods and businesses; and

WHEREAS, throughout 2023, our Office of Equity & Inclusion team, under the leadership of newly appointed Chief Equity Officer Damian Choi, and City departments will work collectively to roll out the first and recently finalized SLC Citywide Equity Plan, drafted under the leadership of our inaugural Chief Equity Officer Kaletta Lynch; and

WHEREAS, we also continue to support and strengthen the work of the City’s Human Rights Commission, the Commission on Racial Equity in Policing, and the Accessibility & Disability Commission; and

WHEREAS, to see Dr. King’s dream come to fruition, we must all do our part to rid the world of racial injustice and make equity an intentional, everyday action.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Erin Mendenhall, Mayor of Salt Lake City, proclaim January 15, 2024, as:

Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Remembrance in Salt Lake City

To view the electronically signed copy of the proclamation click here.