Americans are celebrating the life of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Junior on a national holiday commemorating his birthday.
Many people across the country are marking the holiday by volunteering for service projects. President Bush visited Cardozo High School in Washington, DC, to participate in a community project of painting murals in the school's hallways. He encouraged Americans to seize any opportunity to help someone in need, saying it is a way to honor the legacy of Martin Luther King.
Ceremonies to honor King began last week and are continuing on Monday.
Martin Luther King's oldest daughter, Yolanda King, spoke to a crowd at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta Sunday, calling on people to keep "reaching across the table" to attain peace and racial equality. Reverend King preached at the Atlanta church for many years.
More than 600 of King's personal documents have been put on display for the first time in Atlanta. The exhibit includes an early draft of King's "I Have a Dream Speech."
Martin Luther King, Junior would have been 78 years old on Monday.
He was a central figure in the U.S. civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s. He led nonviolent protests against segregation and discrimination of African Americans. Dr. King was assassinated in the U.S. city of Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4th, 1968.
Former North Carolina Senator John Edwards spoke Sunday at a service to honor Reverend King at Riverside Church in New York City. Edwards, a Democratic candidate for president in 2008, received thunderous applause when he called for an immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. Edwards referred to a speech King gave at the same church 40 years ago when he strongly condemned the war in Vietnam.