How Martin Luther King Jr. Day started?

Who is Martin Luther King Jr.?

Born on 15th of January 1929, Martin Luther King Junior was the most influential activist in the civil rights movement in America. Due to his hard work and efforts the curse of racial discrimination is largely removed from the federal system. He got inspirations from Indian freedom fighter Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. And on his tactics he started movement of non-violence and civil disobedience.

Martin Luther King Jr giving a speech

In 1964 he was awarded with Nobel Peace Prize for his successful work on civil rights through non-violent movement.Today there are so many streets in USA which are names after him. There is also a county in Washington which is named after him. 

Officially this is birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. which is being celebrated as Martin Luther King Jr. day. It is a federal holiday in America which is observed on 3rd Monday of January each year. King's birthday is 15th January and this day has been fixed so it is around his birthday.

King is well known for his famous speech "I have a dream" which he delivered in front of Lincoin Memorial. This speech is most influential speech in history of American oratory and it became jet fuel to civil rights movements throughout US.

Journey after King's assassination

King is very well known face for his work for racial discrimination. Due to his non-violent activities in the civil right movement he could successfully protest the prevailing discrimination based on the race of person. King was assassinated in 1968 and soon after that a campaign started for a federal holiday in his honor. Ronald Reagan in 1983 included it in the federal holidays. Some states showed resistant and often it was clubbed with other holidays. In year 2000 it was officially observed in all the 50 states for the first time.

It was labor unions who came out with the idea of Martin Luther King Jr Day in contract negotiations. John Conyers, Michigan Democrat, and Edward Brooke, a Republican from Massachusetts came up with a congress bill to make King's birthday a government holiday. Albeit the bill could not pass as it has few objections like being an expensive affair and honoring a normal citizen (as King never held an office) with such gesture will be in contradiction to long traditions. 

But the idea of observing a holiday never sank! King Center gathered support from corporate groups as well as common citizens. Musician Stevie Wonder popularized the campaign by composing "Happy Birthday". He also hosted a rally in 1981 for Peace press conference. More than six million people signed on a petition which was sent to congress to pass the law. This petition is still the largest petition in the United States history.

There were few up and downs like senators Jesee Helms and John Porter East questioned whether Martin Luther King Jr was so important for such a big honor! And Helms also disliked King opposing the Vietnam war. 

Then US president Mr Ronald Reagan, citing monetary doubts, opposed the idea of federal holiday. But in November of 1983 Ronald signed the bill which opened the gate for Martin Luther King Jr. day. The first Martin Luther King Jr. Day was observed on 20th January, 1986.

Until the year of 1991, not all the states agreed to idea of federal holiday though. It was celebrated as Civil Rights day or Fast day. But in the year of 2000, Utah was the last state to recognize this day as Martin Luther King Jr. Day. 

Even today it is clubbed with some other holidays in few states. Some states like Mississippi, Arkansas, Albama observe Martin Luther King birthday clubbed with Rober E Lee birthday. In New hampshire it is called as Martin Luther King Jr. civil rights day.

Barack Obama serving on MLK Day

Every year more and more employers are giving a day off to their employees on this day. In 2007 the number was 33%.  King day of service is also observed and President Obama also served lunch in honor of Martin Luther King Jr.