Difference between revisions of "Martin Luther King, Jr. Day" - New World Encyclopedia

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{{Infobox Holiday
 
{{Infobox Holiday
|holiday_name = Martin Luther King Jr. Day
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|holiday_name = Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
 
|type = National
 
|type = National
 
|image = Martin Luther King press conference 01269u edit.jpg
 
|image = Martin Luther King press conference 01269u edit.jpg
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| date        = 3rd Monday in January
 
| date        = 3rd Monday in January
 
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'''Martin Luther King Jr. Day''' (officially '''Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.''',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/snow-dismissal-procedures/federal-holidays/#url=2013 |title=Federal Holidays |publisher=Opm.gov |accessdate=January 20, 2014}}</ref> and sometimes referred to as '''MLK Day''') is an [[Federal holidays in the United States|American federal holiday]] marking the birthday of [[Martin Luther King Jr.]] It is observed on the third Monday of January each year, which is around King's birthday, January 15. The holiday is similar to holidays set under the [[Uniform Monday Holiday Act]]. The earliest Monday for this holiday is January 15 and the latest is January 21.
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'''Martin Luther King, Jr. Day''' (officially '''Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.''', and sometimes referred to as '''MLK Day''') is an [[Federal holidays in the United States|American federal holiday]] marking the birthday of [[Martin Luther King Jr.]] It is observed on the third Monday of January each year, which is around King's birthday, January 15. The holiday is similar to holidays set under the [[Uniform Monday Holiday Act]]. The earliest Monday for this holiday is January 15 and the latest is January 21.
  
 
King was the chief spokesperson for [[nonviolence|nonviolent]] activism in the [[Civil Rights Movement]], which successfully protested racial discrimination in federal and state law. The campaign for a federal holiday in King's honor began soon after [[Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.|his assassination]] in 1968. President [[Ronald Reagan]] signed the holiday into law in 1983, and it was first observed three years later. At first, some states resisted observing the holiday as such, giving it alternative names or combining it with other holidays. It was officially observed in all 50 states for the first time in 2000.  
 
King was the chief spokesperson for [[nonviolence|nonviolent]] activism in the [[Civil Rights Movement]], which successfully protested racial discrimination in federal and state law. The campaign for a federal holiday in King's honor began soon after [[Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.|his assassination]] in 1968. President [[Ronald Reagan]] signed the holiday into law in 1983, and it was first observed three years later. At first, some states resisted observing the holiday as such, giving it alternative names or combining it with other holidays. It was officially observed in all 50 states for the first time in 2000.  
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While it is a paid holiday for workers, the emphasis is not on relaxing, celebrating, or being entertained. Rather, everyone is encouraged to participate in volunteer service activities to create a better community for all.
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==Martin Luther King, Jr.==
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The Rev. Dr. [[Martin Luther King, Jr.]] (January 15, 1929–April 4, 1968) was America's foremost [[civil rights]] leader and is deemed by many as the greatest American leader of the twentieth century. His leadership was fundamental to ending legal [[segregation]] in the [[United States]] and empowering the African-American community. A moral leader foremost, he espoused [[non-violent resistance]] as the means to bring about political change, emphasizing that spiritual principles guided by [[love]] can triumph over [[politics]] driven by hate and fear. He was a superb [[orator]], best known for his "I Have a Dream" speech given at the March on Washington on August 28, 1963. King became the youngest person to win the [[Nobel Peace Prize]] in 1964.
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In 1968, at age 39, King was killed by an assassin's bullet. His impact and legacy was not limited to the U.S., but was worldwide, including influencing the struggle against [[apartheid]] in [[South Africa]]. Martin Luther King, Jr. is one of only three Americans to have a national holiday in their honor, and the only African-American.
  
 
==History==
 
==History==
 
[[File:Don%27t_Work_sign_ppmsca.03197_Cropped.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Sign (1969) promoting a holiday on the anniversary of King's death]]
 
[[File:Don%27t_Work_sign_ppmsca.03197_Cropped.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Sign (1969) promoting a holiday on the anniversary of King's death]]
 
[[File:Reagan signs Martin Luther King bill.jpg|thumb|250px|right|[[Ronald Reagan]] and [[Coretta Scott King]] at the Martin Luther King Jr. Day signing ceremony.]]
 
[[File:Reagan signs Martin Luther King bill.jpg|thumb|250px|right|[[Ronald Reagan]] and [[Coretta Scott King]] at the Martin Luther King Jr. Day signing ceremony.]]
The idea of Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a holiday was promoted by [[trade union|labor unions]] in contract negotiations.<ref name="nation">{{cite news|last=Jones |first=William P. |date=January 30, 2006 |archivedate=June 29, 2011 |url=http://www.thenation.com/article/working-class-hero?page=full |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629021941/http://www.thenation.com/article/working-class-hero?page=full |title=Working-Class Hero |work=[[The Nation]] |accessdate=January 17, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> After King's death, [[United States Representative|U.S. Representative]] [[John Conyers]] (a Democrat from [[Michigan]]) and [[United States Senator|U.S. Senator]] [[Edward Brooke]] (a Republican from [[Massachusetts]]) introduced a bill in Congress to make King's birthday a national holiday. The bill first came to a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1979. However, it fell five votes short of the number needed for passage.<ref name="Wolfen">{{cite web|last=Wolfensberger |first=Don |date=January 14, 2008 |archivedate=March 3, 2011 |url=http://www.wilsoncenter.org/events/docs/King%20Holiday-essay-drw.pdf |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110303194404/http://www.wilsoncenter.org/events/docs/King%20Holiday-essay-drw.pdf |title=The Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday: The Long Struggle in Congress, An Introductory Essay |publisher=[[Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars]] |accessdate=January 16, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Two of the main arguments mentioned by opponents were that a paid holiday for federal employees would be too expensive and that a holiday to honor a private citizen would be contrary to longstanding tradition (King had never held public office).<ref name="Wolfen" /> Only two other figures have national holidays in the U.S. honoring them: [[George Washington]] and [[Christopher Columbus]].<!-- Please do not change this sentence. The *national* holiday is Washington's Birthday, not President's Day (which is the name of a state holiday in many states). —>
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The idea of Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a holiday was promoted by [[trade union|labor unions]] in contract negotiations.<ref name="nation">William P. Jones, Working-Class Hero ''The Nation'', January 11, 2006. </ref> After King's death, [[United States Representative|U.S. Representative]] [[John Conyers]] (a Democrat from [[Michigan]]) and [[United States Senator|U.S. Senator]] [[Edward Brooke]] (a Republican from [[Massachusetts]]) introduced a bill in Congress to make King's birthday a national holiday. The bill first came to a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1979. However, it fell five votes short of the number needed for passage.<ref name="Wolfen">Don Wolfensberger, [https://web.archive.org/web/20110303194404/http://www.wilsoncenter.org/events/docs/King%20Holiday-essay-drw.pdf The Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday: The Long Struggle in Congress, An Introductory Essay] Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, January 14, 2008. Retrieved December 13, 2019.</ref> Two of the main arguments mentioned by opponents were that a paid holiday for federal employees would be too expensive and that a holiday to honor a private citizen would be contrary to longstanding tradition (King had never held public office).<ref name="Wolfen" /> Only two other figures have national holidays in the U.S. honoring them: [[George Washington]] and [[Christopher Columbus]].
  
Soon after, the [[Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site|King Center]] turned to support from the corporate community and the general public. The success of this strategy was cemented when musician [[Stevie Wonder]] released the single "[[Happy Birthday (Stevie Wonder song)|Happy Birthday]]" to popularize the campaign in 1980 and hosted the Rally for Peace Press Conference in 1981. Six million signatures were collected for a petition to Congress to pass the law, termed by a 2006 article in ''[[The Nation]]'' as "the largest petition in favor of an issue in U.S. history".<ref name="nation"/>
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Soon after, the [[Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site|King Center]] turned to support from the corporate community and the general public. The success of this strategy was cemented when musician [[Stevie Wonder]] released the single "[[Happy Birthday (Stevie Wonder song)|Happy Birthday]]" to popularize the campaign in 1980 and hosted the Rally for Peace Press Conference in 1981. Six million signatures were collected for a petition to Congress to pass the law, termed by a 2006 article in ''[[The Nation]]'' as "the largest petition in favor of an issue in U.S. history."<ref name="nation"/>
  
Senators [[Jesse Helms]] and [[John Porter East]] (both [[North Carolina]] [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]s) led the opposition to the holiday and questioned whether King was important enough to receive such an honor. Helms criticized King's opposition to the [[Vietnam War]] and accused him of espousing "action-oriented [[Marxism]]".<ref name="dewar">{{cite news|last=Dewar |first=Helen |date=October 4, 1983 |archivedate=June 29, 2011 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/opinions/articles/helms_stalls_kings_day.html |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629031519/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/opinions/articles/helms_stalls_kings_day.html |title=Helms Stalls King's Day in Senate |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |page=A01 |accessdate=January 16, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Helms led a [[filibuster]] against the bill and on October 3, 1983, submitted a 300-page document to the Senate alleging that King had associations with [[Communism|communists]]. Democratic New York Senator [[Daniel Patrick Moynihan]] declared the document a "packet of filth", threw it on the Senate floor and stomped on it.<ref>{{cite news|last=Romero|first=Frances|title=A Brief History of Martin Luther King Jr. Day|url=http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1872501,00.html|newspaper=Time|date=January 18, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Courtwright|first=David T.|title=No Right Turn: Conservative Politics in a Liberal America|year=2010|publisher=Harvard University Press|location=Cambridge, Massachusetts|isbn=978-0-674-04677-1|url=https://books.google.com/?id=J5Vb52f6rOIC&pg=PA13&lpg=PA13&dq=moynihan+%22packet+of+filth%22#v=onepage&q=moynihan%20%22packet%20of%20filth%22&f=false|page=13}}</ref>
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Senators [[Jesse Helms]] and [[John Porter East]] (both [[North Carolina]] [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]s) led the opposition to the holiday and questioned whether King was important enough to receive such an honor. Helms criticized King's opposition to the [[Vietnam War]] and accused him of espousing "action-oriented Marxism."<ref name="dewar">Helen Dewar, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/opinions/articles/helms_stalls_kings_day.html Helms Stalls King's Day in Senate] ''The Washington Post'', October 4, 1983. Retrieved December 13, 2019.</ref> Helms led a [[filibuster]] against the bill and on October 3, 1983, submitted a 300-page document to the Senate alleging that King had associations with [[Communism|communists]]. Democratic New York Senator [[Daniel Patrick Moynihan]] declared the document a "packet of filth," threw it on the Senate floor and stomped on it.<ref>David T. Courtwright, ''No Right Turn: Conservative Politics in a Liberal America'' (Harvard University Press, 2010, ISBN 978-0674046771).</ref>
  
[[Ronald Reagan|President Ronald Reagan]] originally opposed the holiday, citing cost concerns. When asked to comment on Helms' accusations that King was a communist, the president said "We'll know in thirty-five years, won't we?", referring to the eventual release of [[FBI]] surveillance tapes that had previously been [[record sealing|sealed]].<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Younge|first1=Gary|title=The Misremembering of 'I Have a Dream'|journal=The Nation|date=September 2–9, 2013|url=http://www.thenation.com/article/175764/misremembering-i-have-dream#|accessdate=April 12, 2015}}</ref> But on November 2, 1983, Reagan signed a bill, proposed by [[Katie Hall (politician)|Representative Katie Hall]] of Indiana, to create a federal holiday honoring King.<ref name="reagan">{{cite web|last=Woolley |first=John T. |author2=Gerhard Peters |date=November 2, 1983 |archivedate=July 20, 2011 |url=http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=40708 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720080942/http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=40708 |title=Ronald Reagan: Remarks on Signing the Bill Making the Birthday of Martin Luther King Jr., a National Holiday |publisher=[[The American Presidency Project]] |accessdate=January 16, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name=statute>{{USStatute|98|399|98|1475|1983|11|02}}</ref> The bill had passed the Senate by a count of 78 to 22<ref>{{cite news |last1=Dewar |first1=Helen |title=Solemn Senate Votes For National Holiday Honoring Rev. King |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/opinions/articles/solemn_senate_votes_for_national_holiday.html |accessdate=March 11, 2019 |work=The Washington Post |date=October 20, 1983}}</ref> and the House of Representatives by 338 to 90, [[veto]]-proof margins.<ref name="dewar"/> The holiday was observed for the first time on January 20, 1986.<ref name=statute/> It is observed on the third Monday of January.<ref>{{cite news |author=May, Ashley |title= What is open and closed on Martin Luther King Jr. Day? |url= https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/01/18/mlk-day-what-open-and-closed-martin-luther-king-jr-day/2612990002/ |work=USA Today |date=January 18, 2019 |accessdate=January 20, 2019}}</ref>
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[[Ronald Reagan|President Ronald Reagan]] originally opposed the holiday, citing cost concerns. When asked to comment on Helms' accusations that King was a communist, the president said "We'll know in thirty-five years, won't we?" referring to the eventual release of [[FBI]] surveillance tapes that had previously been [[record sealing|sealed]].<ref>Gary Younge, The Misremembering of 'I Have a Dream' ''The Nation'', August 14, 2013. Retrieved December 13, 2019.</ref> Finally, the bill introduced by [[Katie Hall (politician)|Representative Katie Hall]] of Indiana to create a federal holiday honoring King passed the Senate by a count of 78 to 22<ref>Helen Dewar, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/opinions/articles/solemn_senate_votes_for_national_holiday.html Solemn Senate Votes For National Holiday Honoring Rev. King] ''The Washington Post'', October 20, 1983. Retrieved December 13, 2019.</ref> and the House of Representatives by 338 to 90, [[veto]]-proof margins.<ref name="dewar"/> On November 2, 1983, Reagan signed the bill.<ref>Ronald Reagan, [https://www.whatsoproudlywehail.org/curriculum/the-american-calendar/remarks-on-signing-the-bill-making-the-birthday-of-martin-luther-king-jr-a-national-holiday Remarks on Signing the Bill Making the Birthday of Martin Luther King Jr., a National Holiday]. November 2, 1983. Retrieved December 13, 2019.</ref> The holiday was observed for the first time on January 20, 1986. It is observed on the third Monday of January.<ref>Ashley May, [https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/01/18/mlk-day-what-open-and-closed-martin-luther-king-jr-day/2612990002/ What is open and closed on Martin Luther King Jr. Day?] ''USA Today'', January 18, 2019. Retrieved December 13, 2019.</ref>
  
The bill also established the Martin Luther King Jr. Federal Holiday Commission to oversee observance of the holiday, and [[Coretta Scott King]], King's wife, was made a member of this commission for life by [[George H. W. Bush|President George H. W. Bush]] in May 1989.<ref name="bush">{{cite web|last=Woolley |first=John T. |author2=Gerhard Peters |date=May 17, 1989 |archivedate=October 2, 2012 |url=http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=17040 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121002135726/http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=17040 |title=George Bush: Remarks on Signing the Martin Luther King Jr., Federal Holiday Commission Extension Act |publisher=[[The American Presidency Project]] |accessdate=January 16, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{USStatute|101|30|103|60|1989|05|17}}</ref>
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The bill also established the Martin Luther King Jr. Federal Holiday Commission to oversee observance of the holiday, and [[Coretta Scott King]], King's wife, was made a member of this commission for life by [[George H. W. Bush|President George H. W. Bush]] in May 1989.<ref>United States National Archives and Records Administration Federal Register Office, ''Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Vol. 38, no. 23'' (Ulan Press, November 18, 2011).</ref>
  
 
==State-level passage==
 
==State-level passage==
Although the federal holiday honoring King was signed into law in 1983 and took effect three years later, not every U.S. state chose to observe the holiday at the state level until 1991, when the [[New Hampshire]] legislature created "Civil Rights Day" and abolished "[[Fast Day]]".<ref name="nhgov">{{cite web|last=Gilbreth |first=Donna |year=1997 |archivedate=January 2, 2011 |url=http://www.nh.gov/nhinfo/fast.html |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110102115710/http://www.nh.gov/nhinfo/fast.html |title=Rise and Fall of Fast Day |publisher=New Hampshire State Library |accessdate=January 17, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 2000, [[Utah]] became the last state to name a holiday after King when "Human Rights Day" was officially changed to "Martin Luther King Jr. Day".<ref name="newcrisis">{{cite web|last=Petrie|first=Phil W.|url=http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/3783538/mlk-holiday-branches-work-make-work|title=The MLK holiday: Branches work to make it work|date=May–June 2000|work=[[The New Crisis]]|accessdate=November 12, 2008}}</ref>
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Although the federal holiday honoring King was signed into law in 1983 and took effect three years later, not every U.S. state chose to observe the holiday at the state level.  
  
In 1986, Arizona [[List of Governors of Arizona|Governor]] [[Bruce Babbitt]], a Democrat, created a paid state MLK holiday in Arizona by executive order just before he left office, but in 1987, his Republican successor [[Evan Mecham]], citing an attorney general's opinion that Babbitt's order was illegal, reversed Babbitt's decision days after taking office.<ref>{{cite news|last=Ye Hee Lee|first=Michelle|title=Recalling Arizona's struggle for MLK holiday|url=http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/20120112martin-luther-king-holiday-dilemma.html#ixzz2IYEyGRdg|accessdate=January 20, 2013|newspaper=[[The Arizona Republic]]|date=January 15, 2012}}</ref> Later that year, Mecham proclaimed the third Sunday in January to be "Martin Luther King Jr./Civil Rights Day" in Arizona, albeit as an unpaid holiday.<ref>{{cite web|title=Civil Rights Day in United States|url=http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/us/civil-rights-day|website=timeanddate.com|publisher=Time and Date AS|accessdate=April 12, 2015}}</ref> In 1990, Arizona voters were given the opportunity to vote on giving state employees a paid MLK holiday. That same year, the [[National Football League]] threatened to move [[Super Bowl XXVII]], which was planned for Arizona in 1993, if the MLK holiday was voted down.<ref name="TucsonSentinel">{{cite web|url=http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/101611_az_mlk_dedication/arizonans-recall-fight-state-mlk-holiday |title=tucsonsentinel.com |publisher=tucsonsentinel.com |accessdate=February 5, 2013}}</ref> In the November election, the voters were offered two King Day options: Proposition 301, which replaced [[Columbus Day]] on the list of paid state holidays, and Proposition 302, which merged [[Lincoln's Birthday|Lincoln's]] and [[Washington's Birthday|Washington's]] birthdays into one paid holiday to make room for MLK Day. Both measures failed to pass, with only 49% of voters approving Prop 302, the more popular of the two options; although some who voted "no" on 302 voted "yes" on Prop 301.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Shumway|first1=Jim|title=STATE OF ARIZONA OFFICIAL CANVASS – GENERAL ELECTION – November 6, 1990|url=http://azsos.gov/sites/azsos.gov/files/canvass1990ge.pdf|website=Arizona Secretary of State ~ Home Page|publisher=Arizona Secretary of State|accessdate=April 11, 2015|page=12|date=November 26, 1990}}</ref> Consequently, the state lost the chance to host Super Bowl XXVII, which was subsequently held at the [[Rose Bowl (stadium)|Rose Bowl]] in [[Pasadena, California]].<ref name="TucsonSentinel"/> In a 1992 referendum, the voters, this time given only one option for a paid King Day, approved state-level recognition of the holiday.<ref name="Reingold2000">{{cite book|last=Reingold|first=Beth|title=Representing Women: Sex, Gender, and Legislative Behavior in Arizona and California|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ENZoKQzCsk0C&pg=PA66|accessdate=May 4, 2014|year=2000|publisher=Univ of North Carolina Press|isbn=9780807848500|pages=66–}}</ref>
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In 1986, [[Arizona]] Governor [[Bruce Babbitt]], a Democrat, created a paid state MLK holiday in Arizona by executive order just before he left office. However, in 1987, his Republican successor [[Evan Mecham]], citing an attorney general's opinion that Babbitt's order was illegal, reversed Babbitt's decision days after taking office.<ref>Michelle Ye Hee Lee, [http://archive.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/20120112martin-luther-king-holiday-dilemma.html#ixzz2IYEyGRdg Recalling Arizona's struggle for MLK holiday] ''The Arizona Republic'', January 15, 2012. Retrieved December 14, 2019.</ref> Later that year, Mecham proclaimed the third Sunday in January to be "Martin Luther King Jr./Civil Rights Day" in Arizona, albeit as an unpaid holiday.<ref>[https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/us/civil-rights-day Civil Rights Day in United States] ''Time and Date''. Retrieved December 14, 2019.</ref> In 1990 and again in 1992, Arizona voters were given the opportunity to vote on giving state employees a paid MLK holiday. Due to the 1990 referendum proposing two different dates, the proposal failed. In the 1992 referendum, the voters, this time given only one option for a paid King Day, approved state-level recognition of the holiday.<ref>Beth Reingold, ''Representing Women: Sex, Gender, and Legislative Behavior in Arizona and California'' (The University of North Carolina Press, 2000, ISBN 978-0807848500).</ref>
  
On May 2, 2000, South Carolina governor [[Jim Hodges]] signed a bill to make King's birthday an official state holiday. South Carolina was the last state to recognize the day as a paid holiday for all state employees. Before the bill, employees could choose between celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day or one of three [[Confederate holidays]].<ref>[http://www.infoplease.com/spot/mlkhistory1.html The History of Martin Luther King Day], Infoplease</ref> The municipal government of [[Forest City, North Carolina]] allows employees to choose between their own birthday or Martin Luther King Jr. Day for a paid holiday.{{citation needed|date=January 2019}}
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In 1991, the [[New Hampshire]] legislature created "Civil Rights Day" and abolished "[[Fast Day]]."<ref>Donna Gilbreth, [https://web.archive.org/web/20110102115710/http://www.nh.gov/nhinfo/fast.html Rise and Fall of Fast Day] ''New Hampshire State Library'', 1997. Retrieved December 14, 2019.</ref> In 2000, [[Utah]] became the last state to name a holiday after King when "Human Rights Day" was officially changed to "Martin Luther King Jr. Day."<ref>Phil W. Petrie, [http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/3783538/mlk-holiday-branches-work-make-work The MLK holiday: Branches work to make it work] ''The New Crisis'', 107(3) (May/Jun 2000): 54. Retrieved December 14, 2019.</ref>
  
==Alternative names==
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On May 2, 2000, South Carolina governor [[Jim Hodges]] signed a bill to make King's birthday an official state holiday. South Carolina was the last state to recognize the day as a paid holiday for all state employees. Before the bill, employees could choose between celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day or one of three [[Confederate holidays]].<ref>[http://www.infoplease.com/spot/mlkhistory1.html The History of Martin Luther King Day] ''Infoplease'', February 11, 2017. Retrieved December 14, 2019.</ref>
While all states now observe the holiday, some did not name the day after King. For example, in New Hampshire, the holiday was known as "Civil Rights Day" until 1999, when the State Legislature voted to change the name of the holiday to Martin Luther King Day.<ref name="nyt99">{{cite news |last=Goldberg |first=Carey |date=May 26, 1999 |archivedate=November 11, 2012 |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A07E0DC1031F935A15756C0A96F958260&scp=2&sq=Carey%20Goldberg%20Martin%20Luther%20King%201999&st=cse |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121111011843/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A07E0DC1031F935A15756C0A96F958260&scp=2&sq=Carey%20Goldberg%20Martin%20Luther%20King%201999&st=cse |title=Contrarian New Hampshire To Honor Dr. King, at Last |work=[[The New York Times]] |accessdate=January 17, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
 
  
Several additional states have chosen to combine commemorations of King's birthday with other observances:
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==Observance==
*In [[Alabama]]: "[[Robert E. Lee Day|Robert E. Lee]]/Martin Luther King Birthday".<ref>{{cite web|website=Alabama.gov|url=http://inform.alabama.gov/calendar.aspx|title=Calendar}}</ref>
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MLK Day is observed on the third Monday in January as “a day on, not a day off.<ref>[https://www.nationalservice.gov/serve-your-community/mlk-day-service MLK Day of Service] Retrieved December 14, 2019.</ref> It is designated as a national day of service to encourage volunteering to improve the community.
*In [[Arizona]]: "Martin Luther King Jr./Civil Rights Day".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.azleg.state.az.us/FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/ars/1/00301.htm&Title=1&DocType=ARS|title=1–301. Holidays enumerated|website=[[Arizona Legislature]]}}</ref>
 
* In [[Arkansas]]: it was known as "Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday and [[Robert E. Lee Day|Robert E. Lee's Birthday]]" from 1985 to 2017. Legislation in March 2017 changed the name of the state holiday to "Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday" and moved the commemoration of Lee to October.
 
*In [[Idaho]]: "Martin Luther King Jr.–[[Idaho Human Rights Day]]".<ref>{{cite web|website=Idaho.gov|url=http://legislature.idaho.gov/idstat/Title73/T73CH1SECT73-108.htm|title=TItle 73}}</ref>
 
*In [[Mississippi]]: "Martin Luther King's and Robert E. Lee's Birthdays".<ref>{{cite web|website=MS.gov|url=http://www.sos.ms.gov/Education-Publications/Pages/State-Holidays.aspx|title=State Holidays}}</ref>
 
*In [[New Hampshire]]: "Martin Luther King Jr. Civil Rights Day".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rsa/html/xxv/288/288-mrg.htm|title=CHAPTER 288 HOLIDAYS|website=[[New Hampshire General Court]]}}</ref>
 
* In [[Virginia]]: it was known as [[Lee–Jackson–King Day]], combining King's birthday with the established [[Lee–Jackson Day]].<ref name="newcrisis"/> In 2000, Lee–Jackson Day was moved to the Friday before Martin Luther King Jr. Day, establishing Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a holiday in its own right.<ref name="lege">{{cite news|last=Duran |first=April |date=April 10, 2000 |archivedate=July 11, 2010 |url=http://www.has.vcu.edu/mac/cns/on-the-lege-2000/holiday.htm |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100711171616/http://www.has.vcu.edu/mac/cns/on-the-lege-2000/holiday.htm |title=Virginia creates holiday honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. |newspaper=On The Lege |publisher=[[Virginia Commonwealth University]] |accessdate=January 17, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
 
  
==Workplace observance==
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The observance is most popular among nonprofit organizations and least popular among factories and manufacturers.<ref>Karen James Cody, [https://web.archive.org/web/20110117123430/http://www.bna.com/press/2007/specialreports/mlkday07.htm More Employers Plan to Observe Martin Luther King Day] ''Bureau of National Affairs'', January 9, 2007. Retrieved December 14, 2019.</ref> The reasons for this have varied, ranging from the recent addition of the holiday to its occurrence just two weeks after the week between [[Christmas]] and [[New Year's Day]], when many businesses are closed for part or all of it.
  
Overall, in 2007, 33% of employers gave employees the day off, a 2% increase over the previous year. There was little difference in observance by large and small employers: 33% for firms with over 1,000 employees; and, 32% for firms with under 1,000 employees. The observance is most popular among nonprofit organizations and least popular among factories and manufacturers.<ref name="bna">{{cite web|last=Cody |first=Karen James |date=January 9, 2007 |archivedate=January 17, 2011 |url=http://www.bna.com/press/2007/specialreports/mlkday07.htm |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110117123430/http://www.bna.com/press/2007/specialreports/mlkday07.htm |title=More Employers Plan to Observe Martin Luther King Day |publisher=[[Bureau of National Affairs]] |url-status=dead }}</ref> The reasons for this have varied, ranging from the recent addition of the holiday to its occurrence just two weeks after the week between [[Christmas]] and [[New Year's Day]], when many businesses are closed for part or all of it. Additionally, many schools and places of higher education are closed for classes; others remain open but may hold seminars or celebrations of King's message. The observance of MLK Day has led to some colleges and universities extending their Christmas break to include the day as part of the break. Some factories and manufacturers used MLK Day as a [[Long weekend|floating or movable holiday]].{{citation needed|date=January 2017}}
+
Many schools and places of higher education are closed for classes; others remain open but may hold seminars or celebrations of King's message. The observance of MLK Day has led to some colleges and universities extending their winter break to include the day as part of the break.
  
==King Day of Service==
+
===King Day of Service===
 
[[File:MLK service obama.JPG|thumb|250px|President [[Barack Obama]] serving lunch at a Washington soup kitchen on MLK Jr. Day, 2010]]
 
[[File:MLK service obama.JPG|thumb|250px|President [[Barack Obama]] serving lunch at a Washington soup kitchen on MLK Jr. Day, 2010]]
  
The national Martin Luther King Day of Service<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.nationalservice.gov/mlkday | title = Volunteer opportunities and resources for organizing an MLK Day of Service event | website = Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service homepage | publisher = Corporation for National and Community Service}}</ref> was started by former Pennsylvania U.S. Senator [[Harris Wofford]] and Atlanta Congressman [[John Lewis (Georgia politician)|John Lewis]], who co-authored the King Holiday and Service Act. The federal legislation challenges Americans to transform the King Holiday into a day of citizen action [[Volunteering|volunteer]] service in honor of King. The federal legislation was signed into law by [[Bill Clinton|President Bill Clinton]] on August 23, 1994. Since 1996, Wofford's former state office director, [[Todd Bernstein]], has been directing the annual Greater Philadelphia King Day of Service,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mlkdayofservice.org/|title=Greater Philadelphia Martin Luther King Day of Service|publisher=Global Citizen}}</ref> the largest event in the nation honoring King.<ref name="slt">{{cite news |last=Moore |first=Doug |date=January 16, 2011 |archivedate=January 20, 2011 |url=http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/article_4429b5c3-3d55-5c08-81d4-e9ac71919ebe.html |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110120150234/http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/article_4429b5c3-3d55-5c08-81d4-e9ac71919ebe.html |title=MLK events in Missouri form man's legacy |work=[[St. Louis Post-Dispatch]] |url-status=dead }}</ref>
+
The national Martin Luther King Day of Service<ref>[https://www.nationalservice.gov/serve-your-community/mlkdaygov/about-mlk-day-service About the MLK Day of Service] Retrieved December 14, 2019.</ref> was started by former Pennsylvania U.S. Senator [[Harris Wofford]] and Atlanta Congressman [[John Lewis (Georgia politician)|John Lewis]], who co-authored the King Holiday and Service Act. The federal legislation challenges Americans to transform the King Holiday into a day of citizen action [[Volunteering|volunteer]] service in honor of King. The federal legislation was signed into law by [[Bill Clinton|President Bill Clinton]] on August 23, 1994. The annual Greater Philadelphia King Day of Service, begun in 1996 with 1,000 volunteers has become one of the largest events in the nation honoring King, with some 150,000 volunteers serving in over 1,800 projects. <ref>[http://mlkdayofservice.org/about-the-greater-philadelphia-martin-luther-king-day-of-service/ About the Greater Philadelphia Martin Luther King Day of Service] Retrieved December 14, 2019.</ref>
 
 
Several other universities and organizations around the U.S., such as [[Arizona State University]], Greater DC Cares and [[City Year]], participate in the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. In honor of MLK, hundreds of [[Volunteer Center]]s, and volunteers across the country donate their time to make a difference on this day.{{citation needed|date=January 2017}}
 
  
The only other official national day of service in the U.S., as designated by the government, is [[September 11 National Day of Service]] (9/11 Day).{{citation needed|date=January 2017}}
+
Several universities and organizations around the U.S., such as [[Arizona State University]], Greater DC Cares, and [[City Year]], participate in the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. In honor of MLK, hundreds of [[Volunteer Center]]s, and volunteers across the country donate their time to make a difference on this day.
  
 
==Outside the United States==
 
==Outside the United States==
 +
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is also observed in some places outside the United States. For example, the city of [[Toronto]] government in Ontario, Canada, officially recognizes Martin Luther King Jr. Day, although not as a paid holiday: all government services and businesses remain open.<ref>David Miller, [https://web.archive.org/web/20120707073120/http://www.toronto.ca/proclamations/2010/martinlutherkingjrday2010.htm City of Toronto Proclamation] January 18, 2010. Retrieved December 14, 2019.</ref>
  
=== Canada ===
+
In the [[Netherlands]], a Martin Luther King, Jr. Tribute Dinner has been held almost every year by Americans living overseas since President Ronald Reagan signed the holiday into law in 1983. Dr. King had visited the Netherlands in 1964 to take part in the Congress of European Baptists.<ref>[https://nl.usembassy.gov/martin-luther-king-jr-tribute-dinner/ Martin Luther King, Jr. Tribute Dinner] ''U.S. Mission Netherlands'', January 30, 2017. Retrieved December 14, 2019.</ref>  
The [[City of Toronto government]], in Ontario, Canada, officially recognizes Martin Luther King Jr. Day, although not as a paid holiday: all government services and businesses remain open.<ref>{{cite web|last=Miller |first=David |authorlink=David Miller (Canadian politician) |year=2008 |archivedate=July 7, 2012 |url=http://www.toronto.ca/proclamations/2010/martinlutherkingjrday2010.htm |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120707073120/http://www.toronto.ca/proclamations/2010/martinlutherkingjrday2010.htm |title=City of Toronto Proclamation |website=[[City of Toronto government]] |url-status=dead }}</ref>
 
 
 
=== Israel ===
 
In 1984, during a visit by the [[U.S. Sixth Fleet]], [[Navy Chaplain Corps|Navy chaplain]] Rabbi [[Arnold Resnicoff]] conducted the first Israeli presidential ceremony in commemoration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, held in the [[Beit HaNassi|President's Residence]], Jerusalem. [[Aura Herzog]], wife of Israel's then-President [[Chaim Herzog]], noted that she was especially proud to host this special event, because Israel had a national forest in honor of King, and that Israel and King shared the idea of "dreams".<ref>''The Jewish Week & The American Examiner'', pg 37, February 3, 1986.</ref> Resnicoff continued this theme in his remarks during the ceremony, quoting the verse from Genesis, spoken by the brothers of Joseph when they saw their brother approach, "Behold the dreamer comes; let us slay him and throw him into the pit, and see what becomes of his dreams." Resnicoff noted that, from time immemorial, there have been those who thought they could kill the dream by slaying the dreamer, but – as the example of King's life shows – such people are always wrong.<ref>{{cite web|website=Library of Congress Veterans History Project Oral History|title= Arnold Resnicoff|date= May 2010|url= http://memory.loc.gov/diglib/vhp/story/loc.natlib.afc2001001.70629/mv0001001.stream}} At 1 hour 37 Min.</ref>
 
 
 
=== Japan ===
 
One place outside the U.S. where Martin Luther King Jr. Day is observed in the Japanese city of [[Hiroshima]] under mayor [[Tadatoshi Akiba]], who holds a special banquet at the mayor's office as an act of unifying his city's call for peace with King's message of human rights.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.city.hiroshima.lg.jp/shimin/heiwa/martin.html|title=Mayor's Speech at U.S. Conference of Mayors' Luncheon in commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.|website=city.hiroshima.lg.jp}}</ref>
 
  
=== Netherlands ===
+
By coincidence, in Japan the coming of age for young people is traditionally celebrated on January 15, Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday. At the U.S. Conference of Mayors' Luncheon in commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in 2005, the mayor of Hiroshima noted in his speech that on that day he always reminded the young people about the civil rights movement in the US, to unify his city's call for peace with King's message of human rights through [[non-violence|non-violent]] social change.<ref>Tadatoshi Akiba, [http://www.city.hiroshima.lg.jp/shimin/heiwa/martin.html A Non-Violent Response to the Ultimate Violence] ''Mayor's Speech at U.S. Conference of Mayors' Luncheon in commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'', Washington DC, January 17, 2005. Retrieved December 14, 2019.</ref>   
Every year, since 1987, the Dr. Martin Luther King Tribute and Dinner has been held in [[Wassenaar]], The Netherlands.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nl.usembassy.gov/martin-luther-king-jr-tribute-dinner/|title=Martin Luther King, Jr. Tribute Dinner|last=|first=|date=2017-01-30|website=U.S. Embassy & Consulate in the Netherlands|access-date=2017-03-30}}</ref> The Tribute includes young people and veterans of the Civil Rights Movement as well as music. It always ends with everyone holding hands in a circle and singing "We Shall Overcome". The Tribute is held on the last Sunday in January and bridges Dr. King's birthday and [[Black History Month]].{{citation needed|date=January 2017}}
 
  
 
==Notes==
 
==Notes==
Line 83: Line 72:
  
 
==References==
 
==References==
* {{Cite journal | last = Staff writer | title = Colleges and universities that don't observe the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday | journal = [[The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education]] | volume = 19 | issue = 19 | pages = 26–27 | doi = 10.2307/2998887 | jstor = 2998887 | date = Spring 1998 | ref = harv }}
+
* Courtwright, David T. ''No Right Turn: Conservative Politics in a Liberal America''. Harvard University Press, 2010. ISBN 978-0674046771
*Weiss, Jana (2017). "Remember, Celebrate, and Forget? The Martin Luther King Day and the Pitfalls of Civil Religion", ''Journal of American Studies'', [https://doi.org/10.1017/S0021875817001384 Remember, Celebrate, and Forget? The Martin Luther King Day and the Pitfalls of Civil Religion] .
+
* King, Martin Luther, Jr. ''I Have a Dream: Writings and Speeches That Changed the World''. HarperOne, 2003. ISBN 978-0062505521
 +
* Reingold, Beth. ''Representing Women: Sex, Gender, and Legislative Behavior in Arizona and California''. The University of North Carolina Press, 2000. ISBN 978-0807848500
 +
* United States National Archives and Records Administration Federal Register Office. ''Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Vol. 38, no. 23''. Ulan Press, November 18, 2011.
  
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
All links retrieved  
+
All links retrieved November 7, 2022.
 
*[https://www.nationalservice.gov/serve-your-community/mlk-day-service Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service] official government site
 
*[https://www.nationalservice.gov/serve-your-community/mlk-day-service Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service] official government site
 
*[https://www.congress.gov/bill/103rd-congress/house-bill/1933 King Holiday and Service Act of 1994]
 
*[https://www.congress.gov/bill/103rd-congress/house-bill/1933 King Holiday and Service Act of 1994]
Line 97: Line 88:
  
 
{{US Federal Holidays}}
 
{{US Federal Holidays}}
 +
 
{{US Holidays}}
 
{{US Holidays}}
  

Latest revision as of 08:36, 10 March 2023

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
King in 1964
Official name Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Also called MLK Day, King Day, Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Observed by United States
Type National
Date 3rd Monday in January

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (officially Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., and sometimes referred to as MLK Day) is an American federal holiday marking the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. It is observed on the third Monday of January each year, which is around King's birthday, January 15. The holiday is similar to holidays set under the Uniform Monday Holiday Act. The earliest Monday for this holiday is January 15 and the latest is January 21.

King was the chief spokesperson for nonviolent activism in the Civil Rights Movement, which successfully protested racial discrimination in federal and state law. The campaign for a federal holiday in King's honor began soon after his assassination in 1968. President Ronald Reagan signed the holiday into law in 1983, and it was first observed three years later. At first, some states resisted observing the holiday as such, giving it alternative names or combining it with other holidays. It was officially observed in all 50 states for the first time in 2000.

While it is a paid holiday for workers, the emphasis is not on relaxing, celebrating, or being entertained. Rather, everyone is encouraged to participate in volunteer service activities to create a better community for all.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (January 15, 1929–April 4, 1968) was America's foremost civil rights leader and is deemed by many as the greatest American leader of the twentieth century. His leadership was fundamental to ending legal segregation in the United States and empowering the African-American community. A moral leader foremost, he espoused non-violent resistance as the means to bring about political change, emphasizing that spiritual principles guided by love can triumph over politics driven by hate and fear. He was a superb orator, best known for his "I Have a Dream" speech given at the March on Washington on August 28, 1963. King became the youngest person to win the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.

In 1968, at age 39, King was killed by an assassin's bullet. His impact and legacy was not limited to the U.S., but was worldwide, including influencing the struggle against apartheid in South Africa. Martin Luther King, Jr. is one of only three Americans to have a national holiday in their honor, and the only African-American.

History

Sign (1969) promoting a holiday on the anniversary of King's death
Ronald Reagan and Coretta Scott King at the Martin Luther King Jr. Day signing ceremony.

The idea of Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a holiday was promoted by labor unions in contract negotiations.[1] After King's death, U.S. Representative John Conyers (a Democrat from Michigan) and U.S. Senator Edward Brooke (a Republican from Massachusetts) introduced a bill in Congress to make King's birthday a national holiday. The bill first came to a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1979. However, it fell five votes short of the number needed for passage.[2] Two of the main arguments mentioned by opponents were that a paid holiday for federal employees would be too expensive and that a holiday to honor a private citizen would be contrary to longstanding tradition (King had never held public office).[2] Only two other figures have national holidays in the U.S. honoring them: George Washington and Christopher Columbus.

Soon after, the King Center turned to support from the corporate community and the general public. The success of this strategy was cemented when musician Stevie Wonder released the single "Happy Birthday" to popularize the campaign in 1980 and hosted the Rally for Peace Press Conference in 1981. Six million signatures were collected for a petition to Congress to pass the law, termed by a 2006 article in The Nation as "the largest petition in favor of an issue in U.S. history."[1]

Senators Jesse Helms and John Porter East (both North Carolina Republicans) led the opposition to the holiday and questioned whether King was important enough to receive such an honor. Helms criticized King's opposition to the Vietnam War and accused him of espousing "action-oriented Marxism."[3] Helms led a filibuster against the bill and on October 3, 1983, submitted a 300-page document to the Senate alleging that King had associations with communists. Democratic New York Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan declared the document a "packet of filth," threw it on the Senate floor and stomped on it.[4]

President Ronald Reagan originally opposed the holiday, citing cost concerns. When asked to comment on Helms' accusations that King was a communist, the president said "We'll know in thirty-five years, won't we?" referring to the eventual release of FBI surveillance tapes that had previously been sealed.[5] Finally, the bill introduced by Representative Katie Hall of Indiana to create a federal holiday honoring King passed the Senate by a count of 78 to 22[6] and the House of Representatives by 338 to 90, veto-proof margins.[3] On November 2, 1983, Reagan signed the bill.[7] The holiday was observed for the first time on January 20, 1986. It is observed on the third Monday of January.[8]

The bill also established the Martin Luther King Jr. Federal Holiday Commission to oversee observance of the holiday, and Coretta Scott King, King's wife, was made a member of this commission for life by President George H. W. Bush in May 1989.[9]

State-level passage

Although the federal holiday honoring King was signed into law in 1983 and took effect three years later, not every U.S. state chose to observe the holiday at the state level.

In 1986, Arizona Governor Bruce Babbitt, a Democrat, created a paid state MLK holiday in Arizona by executive order just before he left office. However, in 1987, his Republican successor Evan Mecham, citing an attorney general's opinion that Babbitt's order was illegal, reversed Babbitt's decision days after taking office.[10] Later that year, Mecham proclaimed the third Sunday in January to be "Martin Luther King Jr./Civil Rights Day" in Arizona, albeit as an unpaid holiday.[11] In 1990 and again in 1992, Arizona voters were given the opportunity to vote on giving state employees a paid MLK holiday. Due to the 1990 referendum proposing two different dates, the proposal failed. In the 1992 referendum, the voters, this time given only one option for a paid King Day, approved state-level recognition of the holiday.[12]

In 1991, the New Hampshire legislature created "Civil Rights Day" and abolished "Fast Day."[13] In 2000, Utah became the last state to name a holiday after King when "Human Rights Day" was officially changed to "Martin Luther King Jr. Day."[14]

On May 2, 2000, South Carolina governor Jim Hodges signed a bill to make King's birthday an official state holiday. South Carolina was the last state to recognize the day as a paid holiday for all state employees. Before the bill, employees could choose between celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day or one of three Confederate holidays.[15]

Observance

MLK Day is observed on the third Monday in January as “a day on, not a day off.” [16] It is designated as a national day of service to encourage volunteering to improve the community.

The observance is most popular among nonprofit organizations and least popular among factories and manufacturers.[17] The reasons for this have varied, ranging from the recent addition of the holiday to its occurrence just two weeks after the week between Christmas and New Year's Day, when many businesses are closed for part or all of it.

Many schools and places of higher education are closed for classes; others remain open but may hold seminars or celebrations of King's message. The observance of MLK Day has led to some colleges and universities extending their winter break to include the day as part of the break.

King Day of Service

President Barack Obama serving lunch at a Washington soup kitchen on MLK Jr. Day, 2010

The national Martin Luther King Day of Service[18] was started by former Pennsylvania U.S. Senator Harris Wofford and Atlanta Congressman John Lewis, who co-authored the King Holiday and Service Act. The federal legislation challenges Americans to transform the King Holiday into a day of citizen action volunteer service in honor of King. The federal legislation was signed into law by President Bill Clinton on August 23, 1994. The annual Greater Philadelphia King Day of Service, begun in 1996 with 1,000 volunteers has become one of the largest events in the nation honoring King, with some 150,000 volunteers serving in over 1,800 projects. [19]

Several universities and organizations around the U.S., such as Arizona State University, Greater DC Cares, and City Year, participate in the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. In honor of MLK, hundreds of Volunteer Centers, and volunteers across the country donate their time to make a difference on this day.

Outside the United States

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is also observed in some places outside the United States. For example, the city of Toronto government in Ontario, Canada, officially recognizes Martin Luther King Jr. Day, although not as a paid holiday: all government services and businesses remain open.[20]

In the Netherlands, a Martin Luther King, Jr. Tribute Dinner has been held almost every year by Americans living overseas since President Ronald Reagan signed the holiday into law in 1983. Dr. King had visited the Netherlands in 1964 to take part in the Congress of European Baptists.[21]

By coincidence, in Japan the coming of age for young people is traditionally celebrated on January 15, Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday. At the U.S. Conference of Mayors' Luncheon in commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in 2005, the mayor of Hiroshima noted in his speech that on that day he always reminded the young people about the civil rights movement in the US, to unify his city's call for peace with King's message of human rights through non-violent social change.[22]

Notes

  1. 1.0 1.1 William P. Jones, Working-Class Hero The Nation, January 11, 2006.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Don Wolfensberger, The Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday: The Long Struggle in Congress, An Introductory Essay Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, January 14, 2008. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  3. 3.0 3.1 Helen Dewar, Helms Stalls King's Day in Senate The Washington Post, October 4, 1983. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  4. David T. Courtwright, No Right Turn: Conservative Politics in a Liberal America (Harvard University Press, 2010, ISBN 978-0674046771).
  5. Gary Younge, The Misremembering of 'I Have a Dream' The Nation, August 14, 2013. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  6. Helen Dewar, Solemn Senate Votes For National Holiday Honoring Rev. King The Washington Post, October 20, 1983. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  7. Ronald Reagan, Remarks on Signing the Bill Making the Birthday of Martin Luther King Jr., a National Holiday. November 2, 1983. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  8. Ashley May, What is open and closed on Martin Luther King Jr. Day? USA Today, January 18, 2019. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  9. United States National Archives and Records Administration Federal Register Office, Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Vol. 38, no. 23 (Ulan Press, November 18, 2011).
  10. Michelle Ye Hee Lee, Recalling Arizona's struggle for MLK holiday The Arizona Republic, January 15, 2012. Retrieved December 14, 2019.
  11. Civil Rights Day in United States Time and Date. Retrieved December 14, 2019.
  12. Beth Reingold, Representing Women: Sex, Gender, and Legislative Behavior in Arizona and California (The University of North Carolina Press, 2000, ISBN 978-0807848500).
  13. Donna Gilbreth, Rise and Fall of Fast Day New Hampshire State Library, 1997. Retrieved December 14, 2019.
  14. Phil W. Petrie, The MLK holiday: Branches work to make it work The New Crisis, 107(3) (May/Jun 2000): 54. Retrieved December 14, 2019.
  15. The History of Martin Luther King Day Infoplease, February 11, 2017. Retrieved December 14, 2019.
  16. MLK Day of Service Retrieved December 14, 2019.
  17. Karen James Cody, More Employers Plan to Observe Martin Luther King Day Bureau of National Affairs, January 9, 2007. Retrieved December 14, 2019.
  18. About the MLK Day of Service Retrieved December 14, 2019.
  19. About the Greater Philadelphia Martin Luther King Day of Service Retrieved December 14, 2019.
  20. David Miller, City of Toronto Proclamation January 18, 2010. Retrieved December 14, 2019.
  21. Martin Luther King, Jr. Tribute Dinner U.S. Mission Netherlands, January 30, 2017. Retrieved December 14, 2019.
  22. Tadatoshi Akiba, A Non-Violent Response to the Ultimate Violence Mayor's Speech at U.S. Conference of Mayors' Luncheon in commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Washington DC, January 17, 2005. Retrieved December 14, 2019.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Courtwright, David T. No Right Turn: Conservative Politics in a Liberal America. Harvard University Press, 2010. ISBN 978-0674046771
  • King, Martin Luther, Jr. I Have a Dream: Writings and Speeches That Changed the World. HarperOne, 2003. ISBN 978-0062505521
  • Reingold, Beth. Representing Women: Sex, Gender, and Legislative Behavior in Arizona and California. The University of North Carolina Press, 2000. ISBN 978-0807848500
  • United States National Archives and Records Administration Federal Register Office. Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Vol. 38, no. 23. Ulan Press, November 18, 2011.

External links

All links retrieved November 7, 2022.


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