The Martin Luther King (MLK) Reading Room was inaugurated Friday in order to facilitate the readers with ample resource of information on diversified subjects relating to the history of United States (US). The Counsellor of US Embassy Public Affairs Gonzalo R. Gallegos in a ceremony inaugurated the room at the Islamabad Club.
The Reading Room will be a resource for those who need current and accurate information on all aspects of US culture, economy, politics, history and arts. "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 symbolise and serve the cause of mutual understanding and the partnership between the two countries and peoples," affirmed the Counsellor. The room has an audio-visual facility so that the users can watch documentaries and movies, besides reference materials, books, magazines, videos, and DVDs.
The MLK Reading Room is named after 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 US 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 US national holiday in 1986. The Reading Room is the latest center opened by the US.