Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day
JANUARY 19TH
Martin Luther King Jr. Day, also known as MLK Day, is a federal holiday & National Day of Service, observed nationwide and recognized by all 50 states. The day honors the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the civil rights leader whose most well-known areas of advocacy include civil rights and racial equality, voting rights, nonviolent resistance, economic justice, fair housing, and opposition to militarism and poverty.
MLK Day commemorates Dr. King’s leadership in the American civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. Through peaceful protests and powerful speeches, he challenged racial segregation and inspired a nation to pursue social justice. In 1983, the US Congress passed legislation establishing the holiday, and President Ronald Reagan signed the King Holiday Bill into law. Over a decade later, in 1994, President Bill Clinton signed the King Holiday and Service Act, which established MLK Day as a day of service, and encouraged people to volunteer in their communities as a way to honor the life of Dr. King. Even though the first official observance took place in 1986, it wasn’t adopted by all 50 states until 2000.