| Sponsor | Rep. Lewis, John |
| Committee | Judiciary |
| Date | February 10, 2009 (111th Congress, 1st Session) |
| Staff Contact | Sarah Makin |
H.Res. 134 is expected to be considered on the floor of the House under a motion to suspend the rules. This resolution was introduced by Representative John Lewis (D-GA) on February 4, 2009.
H.Res. 134 resolves that the House of Representatives
- "Pause and remember the 50th Anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s visit to India;
- "Commemorate Dr. King's legacy of nonviolence, a principle that Dr. King encountered during his study of India's Mahatma Gandhi; further inspired him during his first trip to India; and he successfully used in the struggle for civil rights and voting rights;
- "Commemorate the impact that Dr. King's trip to India and his study of the philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi had in shaping the Civil Rights Movement and creating the political climate necessary to pass legislation to expand civil rights and voting rights for all Americans; and
- "Rededicate themselves to Dr. King's belief that ‘nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral question of our time' and to his goal of a free and just United States."
Dr. King and his wife Coretta Scott King traveled to Bombay, India, on February 10, 1959, and stayed until March 10, 1959. While in India, Dr. King met with Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, land reform leader Vinoba Bhave, and other Indian leaders to discuss issues of poverty, economic policy, and race relations. While traveling, Dr. King spoke about race and equality and promoted nonviolence and civil disobedience as methods for obtaining political and social goals. Dr. King claims that his visit to India encouraged him to continue using nonviolence as an instrument of social change to end segregation and racial discrimination in America.