Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Coretta Scott King bestowed Congressional Gold Medal

By Yvette Caslin
Jun 26, 2014
9:50 am

House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, presents Lonnie Bunch III with a Congressional Gold Medal in honor of the late Dr. and Mrs. Martin Luther King, Jr., who were instrumental in the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Tuesday, June 24, 2014, during a 50th anniversary ceremony of the law in the Capitol Rotunda on Capitol Hill in Washington. From left are, Dexter King, Bernice King, Bunch, Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., Boehner, Rep. Marcia Fudge, D-Ohio, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nev., Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of Calif. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) — House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, presents Lonnie Bunch III with a Congressional Gold Medal in honor of the late Dr. and Mrs. Martin Luther King Jr., who were instrumental in the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Tuesday, June 24, 2014, during a 50th anniversary ceremony of the law in the Capitol Rotunda on Capitol Hill in Washington. From left are, Dexter King, Bernice King, Bunch, Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich.; Boehner, Rep. Marcia Fudge, D-Ohio; Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky., and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

This years marks the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In an official ceremony, Congress will hold a commemoration and Congressional Gold Medal ceremony in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King. A bill was passed to authorize the president to award a gold medal on behalf of the Congress (posthumously) to Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. and his wife, Coretta Scott King, in recognition of their contributions to the nation on behalf of the Civil Rights Movement.

The event was held at the United States Capitol Rotunda in Washington, D.C. John Boehner, Leader Nancy Pelosi, Leader Harry Reid and Leader Mitch McConnell all spoke.

Martin Luther King III and his siblings, Dexter and Bernice King, were presented with the Congressional Gold Medal on behalf of their parents. The medal will ultimately be on display at the Smithsonian Institution, specifically at the National Museum of African American History and Culture.