Memphis, Tennessee Remarks to Reporters Following a Visit to the Site of the Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Q. Can you tell us about your visit here, Mr. President? What prompted you to come? I wonder if you would give us a minute and talk about your visit to the motel here and why you decided to come. Widen did you decide to come here, Mr. President?

THE PRESIDENT. Although the memory of Martin Luther King has always been extremely important in inspiring people to pursue the goals that his life was dedicated to accomplish, there's been a growing realization on a worldwide basis of the significance of what he espoused and what he gave his life to accomplish.

As Andy and Coretta were just pointing out, his Nobel Peace Prize speech deplored poverty, racism, and war. Arid that still is a list of the most significant challenges to any leader in the world.

And I wanted to come there with his widow, Coretta, and with Andy Young, one of his strong supporters, who was here at the time of the tragedy, to let the people of America know and let the people of the world know that I value what Martin Luther King was and what his memory is, not only for myself as a leader of a great country but among the leaders of the world.

REPORTERS. Thank you.