Nobel Peace Prize winner and visionary civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., died on April 4, 1968, but it took 32 years for a government holiday in his honor to be recognized by all fifty states. Dr. King’s birthday was signed into law as a federal holiday in 1983 and took effect three years later on January 20, 1986. However, it was not until 2000 that all fifty states officially observed the holiday. This rather bumpy road to recognition included a major boost from a hit song by Stevie Wonder called “Happy Birthday,” a petition to Congress signed by six million people and the support of labor unions and the general public. While this year the holiday happens to fall on Dr. King’s January 15 birthday, the observance is generally observed on the third Monday of January, following the guidelines of the Uniform Monday Holiday Act. The holiday gives us an opportunity not only to honor the legacy of Dr. King but to reflect on the road ahead to racial justice and equality and the role and responsibility of each individual in achieving this universal goal. The King Center has declared its 2024 strategic goal to be “Shifting the Cultural Climate through the Study and Practice of Kingian Nonviolence.” Click here to learn more about the history of Dr. King’s holiday. And, click on the book jackets below to be taken to catalog links.
"I was a drum major for justice, peace and righteousness." Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
"Make a career of humanity. Commit yourself to the noble struggle for equal rights. You will make a better person of yourself, a greater nation of your country, and a finer world to live in." Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Last Modified April 29, 2024