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In celebrating the birthday of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we honor an American who recognized the great injustice of segregation and discrimination, and made it his life's purpose and toil to right those wrongs in favor of justice, freedom, equality, fairness, and reconciliation. During a White House Rose Garden ceremony held on this day in 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed into law a bill creating a national holiday to honor the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King A look back at the day President Ronald Reagan signed legislation designating Martin Luther King, Jr. Day a federal holiday. On November 2, 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed the King Holiday Bill into law, designating the third Monday in January a federal holiday in observance of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. King's was truly a prophetic voice that reached out over the chasms of hostility, prejudice, ignorance, and fear to touch the conscience of America. He challenged us to make real the promise of America as a land of freedom, equality, opportunity, and brotherhood. A United States federal statute honoring the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. and his work in the civil rights movement with a federal holiday was enacted by the 98th United States Congress and signed into law by President Ronald Reagan on November 2, 1983, creating Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Now, Therefore, I, Ronald Reagan, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim Monday, January 16, 1989, as Martin Luther King, Jr., Day. In 1983, about 20 years after King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, legislation for a Martin Luther King Jr. Day on the third Monday of January cleared Congress and President Ronald Reagan signed it. States held back as activists stepped up In 1983, about 20 years after King's "I Have a Dream" speech, legislation for a Martin Luther King Jr. Day on the third Monday of January cleared Congress and President Ronald Reagan signed it On November 2, 1983 President Reagan signed into law the celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. day as a federal holiday to honor an American visionary, civil rights activist, and champion of the downtrodden. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s own life was one of dreams. It's fitting that we honor the man who went from being a minister in the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta to being the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. Dr. King said the evening before his assassination: "I just want to do God's will. And he's allowed me to go to the mountain. For instance, during a talk about a housing discrimination law that strengthened penalties but allowed for enforcement only if the discrimination could be proved intentional, he said the legislation “has brought us one step closer to realizing Martin Luther King’s dream.” By 1986, Reagan had begun using the rhetorical move—now common on On Nov. 2, 1983, the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. national holiday bill was signed by President Ronald Reagan. Correspondent Bill Plante covered the 1983 bill By Public Law 98 - 144, the third Monday in January of each year has been designated as a public holiday in honor of the "Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.'' Now, Therefore, I, Ronald Reagan, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim The most revealing example of Reagan’s second-term King strategy occurred on January 17, 1986. Three days before the inaugural Martin Luther King, Jr., Day, Coretta Scott King unveiled a three-foot solid bronze bust of her slain husband in the Capitol rotunda (later moved to Statuary Hall). This year's event stands out as a very special milestone, because it is being held as a prelude to the first observance of the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as a National Holiday. King's was truly a prophetic voice that reached out over the chasms of hostility, prejudice, ignorance, and fear to touch the conscience of America. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was born into a world where bigotry and racism still held sway. Before he died, he had touched the conscience of a nation and had contributed immeasurably to the human rights of black Americans. He was a man of character and a man of courage. Early in his life, Martin Luther King learned the meaning of discrimination. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day The folders and case files listed on these topic guides may still have withdrawn material due to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) restrictions. Most frequently withdrawn material includes national security classified material, personal privacy issues, protection of the President, etc. The man whose words and deeds in that crisis stirred our nation to the very depths of its soul was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Martin Luther King was born in 1929 in an America where, because of the color of their skin, nearly 1 in 10 lived lives that were separate and unequal. Most black Americans were taught in segregated schools. President Ronald Reagan addressed students about giving back to their communities in the spirit of Martin Luther King, Jr. Report Video Issue Go to Live Event Javascript must be enabled in order
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