WASHINGTON - Marcia L. Fudge, the 18th Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued the following statement in commemoration of the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.:

“As we pause to remember the life of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a tireless champion for humanity and equality, we must continue to work to honor his legacy of fighting for justice, civil rights, economic justice, and more. I call on everyone to refrain from cherry-picking convenient quotes and instead revisit his full body of work.

“As a student of history, I frequently read the speeches Dr. King wrote, as his work inspires my own. On his birthday and the federal holiday, I’ve made it a practice to read two in particular: ‘A Letter from the Birmingham Jail’, and his iconic ‘I Have a Dream’ speech, in its entirety. In the latter, Dr. King writes, “We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vault of opportunity of this Nation” and he goes on to proclaim, “Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy.”

“In that spirit, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) continues to advance policies that realize the full promise of the Fair Housing Act, ensure those who have paid their debt to society can have a fair shot at a second chance, and expand access to homeownership and wealth-building opportunities for Black people, Brown people, and people with the greatest need.”