For many, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day means another holiday in a season that has just seen Christmas and New Year (preceded by Thanksgiving). Many children receive the day off of school, government offices and banks are shut down, and there are sales at certain retailers.
How did we end up with a federal holiday that honors an individual citizen who never held public office? Of course, there is little denying the tremendous influence that Dr. King had in the realm of civil rights and activism. His work led to a civil revolution, providing a catalyst for change — and the effects are still being felt today.
Campaign for a Holiday in King’s Honor
Efforts to honor King with a holiday started quite soon after his 1968 assassination. Many wanted to make his birthday, January 15, a holiday to remember his efforts and encourage the continuation of his ideas of nonviolent activism against inequality.
However, it took years for the measure to pass. Two petitions, one with three million signatures and one with six million signatures, were presented to Congress at different times requesting a day to honor King. In 1979, an effort to create a paid federal holiday honoring King was defeated by five votes in the House of Representatives. By 1983, though, and thanks to persistent efforts by those dedicated to honoring King, things had changed. Both the House and the Senate passed measure honoring King with overwhelming majorities, and Ronald Reagan recognizing that a veto would be overturned, and stating his reluctance, signed it into law. The holiday is observed on the third Monday in January, which means it falls around the time of King’s birthday, but rarely on the exact day.
The first federal observation of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (MLK Day) was in 1986. However, not all states joined in. Some states called the day something else (Utah called it Human Rights Day until 2000, and many states referred to it as Civil Rights Day). Others allowed employees to choose from a number of “minor” paid holidays, deciding whether to take Columbus Day, MLK Day, a state holiday, or — in some Southern states — one of the Confederate holidays. The year 2000 was the first year that all 50 states recognized MLK Day as a paid holiday with the name honoring Martin Luther King, Jr.
Observing Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
One of the traditions that has grown up around MLK Day is that of service. Citizens are encouraged to perform service and engage in peaceful civil activism in their communities. Many cities and towns hold MLK Day service events, as well as offer lectures, symposia and other activities designed to honor King. For many, it is a time of reflection about how far the nation has come in terms of civil rights and equality, as well as an acknowledgement that there is still work to be done.
Even those in other countries honor Martin Luther King, Jr. The day is recognized by the City of Toronto, in Canada, even though it is not a paid holiday. In Hiroshima, Japan, the former mayor (stepped down in 2011 by refusing to run again), Tadatoshi Akiba, held a special banquet each year in honor of King, and in honor of peaceful ideals.
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