The federal government shuts down on the third Monday of every January for the day to honor Martin Luther King Jr. This year, that day is Jan. 20. The holiday in his honor is timed to honor King's Monday, January 20, commemorates the birthday of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. This year, the holiday coincides with President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, though the majority of How did Martin Luther King Jr. Day become a holiday? Former U.S. Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., introduced legislation to create a federal holiday honoring King on April 8, 1968, just four days after Legislation making Martin Luther King, Jr., Day a federal holiday in the United States was passed in 1983, and the first nationwide observance took place in 1986. Legislation for the holiday had been introduced in in 1968, but opponents blocked its passage. Martin Luther King Jr. Day (officially Birthday of Martin Luther King Jr., [1] and often referred to shorthand as MLK Day) is a federal holiday in the United States observed on the third Monday of January each year. A ‘day on, not a day off’ Martin Luther King Jr. Day’s reach has only grown in its 42 years. It’s the only federal holiday where you take a “day on, not a day off.” In 1994, President Bill Clinton signed into law Congressman John Lewis and Sen. Harris Wofford’s legislation making it a National Day of Service. The third Monday in January is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day — a federal holiday celebrating the life and legacy of the famous civil rights activist and Baptist minister from Georgia. How did Martin Luther King Jr. Day become a federal holiday? The campaign for a federal holiday in King's honor began four days after he was assassinated on April 4, 1968. Today, we reflect on the life and legacy of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and recommit to honoring his moral vision on the path to redeeming the soul of our Nation. Martin Luther King Day is a federal holiday, but has slightly different names in some states. Non-essential Government departments are closed, as are many corporations. Some schools and colleges close but others stay open and teach their students about the life and work of Martin Luther King. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which always takes place on the third Monday in January, occurs on Monday, Jan. 20. The holiday honors the life and birthday of the influential civil rights leader. How did Martin Luther King Jr. Day become a holiday? Former U.S. Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., introduced legislation to create a federal holiday honoring King on April 8, 1968, just four days after Despite the holiday’s federal recognition, statewide observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day is far from uniform. Some states include additional holidays, which are celebrated concurrently with Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Arizona and New Hampshire, for example, celebrate “Civil Rights Day” and Wyoming celebrates “Wyoming Equality Day.” With the upcoming holiday and three-day weekend, you might be wondering how Martin Luther King Jr. Day will impact day-to-day services and whether businesses will close for the day. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which always takes place on the third Monday in January, occurs on Monday, Jan. 20. The Martin Luther King, Jr., Federal Holiday, 2024 A Proclamation Today, we reflect on the life and legacy of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and recommit to honoring his moral vision on the path to redeeming the soul of our Nation. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was born into America when racial segregation was the law of the land. The establishment of a national holiday honoring Martin Luther King, Jr., marked the culmination of a long campaign that began soon after King’s assassination and ended on 2 November 1983, with the signing of legislation by President Ronald Reagan. Public Law 98–144 designated the third Monday in January as an annual federal holiday in King King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 and is remembered each year on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a U.S. federal holiday since 1986. When Was Martin Luther King Born? I encourage all Americans to observe this day with appropriate civic, community, and service projects in honor of Dr. King and to visit MLKDay.gov to find Martin Luther King, Jr., Day of Service On a late summer day in 1963, Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., stood on the National Mall before hundreds of thousands of demonstrators who had gathered to march for freedom, justice, and Martin Luther King, Jr., Federal Holiday, 2023 A Proclamation Today, we honor the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., by continuing his unfinished work to redeem the soul of America. Dr. King came of age in the South during a time when racial discrimination was the law of the land.
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