Statement by Mike Bloomberg on the Observance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day

"Every year on this day, we are called to reflect on the legacy of one of our greatest Americans, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. — and on the racism and injustice he marched against, and the dream he marched for. Yesterday, I went to Tulsa, OK, where a white mob destroyed a prosperous Black neighborhood nearly a century ago; today, to Little Rock, AR, where nine Black students braved a white mob determined to prevent them from attending school little more than 60 years ago. The history of both cities, like so many other communities across our country, reminds us that for hundreds of years, America systematically stole Black lives, Black freedom, and Black labor. And the impact of that theft meant an enormous loss of wealth for Black families across generations. To begin addressing the racial wealth gap, I have proposed a sweeping and ambitious plan to help 1 million more Black families buy a home; double the number of Black-owned businesses; and triple Black families' wealth over the next 10 years. We must re-dedicate ourselves to Dr. King's vision of economic justice, a future where color and capital are no longer related — and we must achieve it."