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21 Aug, 2019
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Martin Luther King Day

Campaigns

Death and memorial

Periods
Timeline Atlantic slave trade Abolitionism in the United States Slavery in the colonial history of the US Revolutionary War Antebellum period Slavery and military history during the Civil War Reconstruction era Politicians Juneteenth Civil rights movement (1865–1896) Jim Crow era (1896–1954) Civil rights movement (1954–1968) Black power movement Post–civil rights era
Aspects
Agriculture history Black Belt in the American South Business history Military history Treatment of the enslaved
Migrations
Great Migration Second Great Migration New Great Migration

Culture

Lifeways
Dance Family structure Film Folktales Music Musical theater Names Neighborhoods Newspapers Soul food
Schools
Education during the slave period in the US Education of freed people during the Civil War History of African-American education, after the Civil War Historically black colleges and universities Fraternities
Academic study
Studies Art Literature
Celebrations
Martin Luther King Jr. Day Black History Month Juneteenth Kwanzaa
Economic class
African-American businesses Middle class Upper class Billionaires
Symbols and ideas
African-American beauty Black is beautiful Black pride African-American hair Good hair Stepping "Lift Every Voice and Sing" Self-determination

Religion

Institutions
Black church
Theologies
Black theology Womanist theology
Non-Christian groups
Hoodoo Black Hebrew Israelites African-American Jews African-American Muslims Nation of Islam Louisiana Voodoo African Diaspora Religions

Politics

Organizations
Congressional Black Caucus Joint Center National Black Caucus of State Legislators National Conference of Black Mayors
Ideologies
Afrocentrism Anarchism Back-to-Africa movement Black power Capitalism Conservatism Garveyism Leftism Liberalism Nationalism Pan-Africanism Patriotism Populism Socialism

Civic/economic groups

Organizations
Association for the Study of African American Life and History Black conductors NAACP National Black Chamber of Commerce National Council of Negro Women National Pan-Hellenic Council National Urban League TransAfrica UNCF

Sub-communities

Multiethnic
African-American Jews Afro-Puerto Ricans Alabama Creole people Black Indians Black Seminoles Mascogos Blaxicans Brass Ankles Creoles of color Dominickers Freedmen Great Dismal Swamp maroons Melungeon Carmel Indians Redbone
Specific ancestries
Americo-Liberians Creek Freedmen Gullah Merikins Nova Scotians Samaná Americans Sierra Leone Creole
Sexual orientation
LGBT community

Dialects and languages

English dialects
African-American English African-American Vernacular English Liberian English Samaná English Tutnese
Languages and other dialects
Gullah Afro-Seminole Creole Negro Dutch Black American Sign Language

Population

US states
Alabama Arkansas California Florida Georgia Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Louisiana Maryland Mississippi Nebraska New York North Carolina Ohio Oklahoma Oregon South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Virginia
US cities
Black mecca List of neighborhoods Atlanta Baltimore Boston Chicago Dallas-Fort Worth Davenport Detroit Houston Jacksonville Kentucky Lexington Los Angeles New York City Omaha Philadelphia San Antonio San Francisco
Historic places
District of Columbia Florida Georgia Mississippi Missouri Omaha, Nebraska North Carolina South Carolina Texas West Virginia
Population count
US states and territories US metropolitan areas US cities US communities Places by plurality of population
Diaspora
Africa Canada France Ghana Israel Liberia Nova Scotia Sierra Leone

Prejudice

Racism
Black genocide Race and ethnicity in the US census Racism against Black Americans Reparations for slavery School segregation in the US Unarmed African Americans killed by police officers
Stereotypes and media depictions
Blackface Criminal stereotypes Hollywood Magical Negro Minstrel show

Martin Luther King Jr. Day (officially Birthday of Martin Luther King Jr., 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. King was chief spokesperson for nonviolent activism in the Civil Rights Movement, which protested racial discrimination in federal and state law and civil society. The movement led to several groundbreaking legislative reforms in the United States.

Born in 1929, Martin Luther King Jr.'s actual birthday is January 15 (which in 1929 fell on a Tuesday). The earliest Monday for this holiday is January 15 and the latest is January 21. The Monday observance is similar for those federal holidays which fall under the Uniform Monday Holiday Act.

The campaign for a federal holiday in King's honor began soon after his assassination in 1968. President Ronald Reagan signed the holiday into law in 1983, and it was first observed three years later on January 20, 1986. At first, some states resisted observing the holiday as such, giving it alternative names or combining it with other holidays. Official observance in each state's law as well as federal law occurred in 2000.

History

Proposals

The idea of Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a holiday was promoted by labor unions in contract negotiations. After King's death, Representative John Conyers (a Democrat from Michigan) and Senator Edward Brooke (a Republican from Massachusetts) introduced a bill in Congress to make King's birthday a national holiday. The bill first came to a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1979. It fell five votes short of the number needed for passage. Two of the main arguments mentioned by opponents were that a paid holiday for federal employees would be too expensive and that a holiday to honor a private citizen would be contrary to longstanding tradition (King had never held public office). Only two other figures have national holidays in the U.S. honoring them: George Washington and Christopher Columbus.

Soon after, the King Center turned to support from the corporate community and the general public. The success of this strategy was cemented when musician Stevie Wonder released the single "Happy Birthday" to popularize the campaign in 1980 and hosted the Rally for Peace Press Conference in 1981. Six million signatures were collected for a petition to Congress to pass the law, termed by a 2006 article in The Nation as "the largest petition in favor of an issue in U.S. history".

Senators Jesse Helms and John Porter East (both North Carolina Republicans) led the opposition to the holiday and questioned whether King was important enough to receive such an honor. Helms criticized King's opposition to the Vietnam War and accused him of espousing "action-oriented Marxism". Helms led a filibuster against the bill and on October 3, 1983, submitted a 300-page document to the Senate alleging that King had associations with communists. Democratic New York Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan declared Helms' document a "packet of filth", threw it on the Senate floor, and stomped on it.

Federal passage

President Ronald Reagan originally opposed the holiday, citing cost concerns. When asked to comment on Helms' accusations that King was a communist, the president said "We'll know in thirty-five years, won't we", referring to the eventual release of FBI surveillance tapes that had previously been sealed. But on November 2, 1983, Reagan signed a bill into law, proposed by Representative Katie Hall of Indiana, to create a federal holiday honoring King. The final vote in the House of Representatives on August 2, 1983, was 338–90 (242–4 in the House Democratic Caucus and 89–77 in the House Republican Conference) with 5 members voting present or abstaining, while the final vote in the Senate on October 19, 1983, was 78–22 (41–4 in the Senate Democratic Caucus and 37–18 in the Senate Republican Conference), both veto-proof margins. The holiday was observed for the first time on January 20, 1986. It is observed on the third Monday of January.

The bill also established the "Martin Luther King, Jr. Federal Holiday Commission" to oversee observance of the holiday, and Coretta Scott King, King's wife, was made a member of this commission for life by President George H. W. Bush in May 1989.

State passage

Although the federal holiday honoring King was signed into law in 1983 and took effect three years later, not every U.S. state chose to observe the January holiday at the state level until 1991, when the New Hampshire legislature created "Civil Rights Day" and abolished its April "Fast Day". In 1999, New Hampshire became the last state to name a holiday after King, which they first celebrated in January 2000 – the first nationwide celebration of the day with this name.

In 1986, Arizona Governor Bruce Babbitt, a Democrat, created a paid state MLK holiday in Arizona by executive order just before he left office, but in 1987, his Republican successor Evan Mecham, citing an attorney general's opinion that Babbitt's order was illegal, reversed Babbitt's decision days after taking office. Later that year, Mecham proclaimed the third Sunday in January to be "Martin Luther King Jr./Civil Rights Day" in Arizona, albeit as an unpaid holiday. This proposal was rejected by the state Senate the following year. In 1990, Arizona voters were given the opportunity to vote on giving state employees a paid MLK holiday. That same year, the National Football League threatened to move Super Bowl XXVII, which was planned for Arizona in 1993, if the MLK holiday was voted down. In the November 1990 election, the voters were offered two King Day options: Proposition 301, which replaced Columbus Day on the list of paid state holidays, and Proposition 302, which merged Lincoln's and Washington's birthdays into one paid holiday to make room for MLK Day. Both measures failed to pass, with only 49% of voters approving Prop 302, the more popular of the two options; although some who voted "no" on 302 voted "yes" on Prop 301. Consequently, the state lost the chance to host Super Bowl XXVII, which was subsequently held at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. In a 1992 referendum, the voters, this time given only one option for a paid King Day, approved state-level recognition of the holiday.

On May 2, 2000, South Carolina governor Jim Hodges signed a bill to make King's birthday an official state holiday. South Carolina was the last state to recognize the day as a paid holiday for all state employees. Before the bill, employees could choose between celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day or one of three Confederate holidays.

Alternative names

While all states now observe the holiday, some did not name the day after King. For example, in New Hampshire, the holiday was known as "Civil Rights Day" until 1999, when the State Legislature voted to change the name of the holiday to Martin Luther King Day.

Several additional states have chosen to combine commemorations of King's birthday with other observances:

In Alabama: "Robert E. Lee/Martin Luther King Birthday".
In Arizona: "Martin Luther King Jr./Civil Rights Day".
In Arkansas: it was known as "Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday and Robert E. Lee's Birthday" from 1985 to 2017. Legislation in March 2017 changed the name of the state holiday to "Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday" and moved the commemoration of Lee to October.
In Idaho: "Martin Luther King Jr.–Idaho Human Rights Day".
In Mississippi: "Martin Luther King's and Robert E. Lee's Birthdays".
In New Hampshire: "Martin Luther King Jr. Civil Rights Day".
In Virginia: it was known as Lee–Jackson–King Day, combining King's birthday with the established Lee–Jackson Day. In 2000, Lee–Jackson Day was moved to the Friday before Martin Luther King Jr. Day, establishing Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a holiday in its own right. Lee-Jackson Day was eliminated in 2020.
In Wyoming: it is known as "Martin Luther King Jr./Wyoming Equality Day". Liz Byrd, the first black woman in the Wyoming legislature, introduced a bill in 1991 for Wyoming to recognize MLK day as a paid state holiday; she compromised on the name because her peers would not pass it otherwise.

Observance

Workplace leave

Overall, as of 2019, 45% of employers gave employees the day off. The reasons for not providing the day off have varied, ranging from the recent addition of the holiday to its occurrence just two weeks after the week between Christmas and New Year's Day, when many businesses are closed for part or all of it. The New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ both close for trading, and banks are generally closed. Additionally, many schools and places of higher education are closed for classes; others remain open but may hold seminars or celebrations of King's message. The observance of MLK Day has led to some colleges and universities extending their Christmas break to include the day as part of the break. Some employers use MLK Day as a floating or movable holiday.

National Day of Service

The national "Martin Luther King, Jr., National Day of Service" was started by former Pennsylvania U.S. Senator Harris Wofford and Atlanta Congressman John Lewis, who co-authored the King Holiday and Service Act. The federal legislation challenges Americans to transform the King Holiday into a day of citizen action volunteer service in honor of King. The federal legislation was signed into law by President Bill Clinton on August 23, 1994. Since 1996, Wofford's former state office director, Todd Bernstein, has been directing the annual Greater Philadelphia King Day of Service, the largest event in the nation honoring King.

Since 1994, the day of service has been coordinated nationally by AmeriCorps, a federal agency, which provides grants to organizations that coordinate service activities on MLK Day.

The only other official national day of service in the U.S., as designated by the government, is September 11 National Day of Service (9/11 Day).

Speeches

Cesar Chavez campaigned with him to call attention to the economic needs of farmworkers in the United States. Chavez used his speech on this day in 1990 to again call attention to the similarity between his campaign regarding pesticide issues and King's campaigns. He later was honored with the creation of Cesar Chavez Day in imitation of this holiday.

Canada

The day is not a holiday in Canada. It is commemorated annually by the City of Toronto and City of Ottawa governments in Ontario and Montreal in Quebec.

Israel

In 1984, during a visit by the U.S. Sixth Fleet, Navy chaplain Rabbi Arnold Resnicoff conducted the first Israeli presidential ceremony in commemoration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, held in the President's Residence, Jerusalem. Aura Herzog, wife of Israel's then-President Chaim Herzog, noted that she was especially proud to host this special event, because Israel had a national forest in honor of King, and that Israel and King shared the idea of "dreams." Resnicoff continued this theme in his remarks during the ceremony, quoting the verse from Genesis, spoken by the brothers of Joseph when they saw their brother approach, "Behold the dreamer comes; let us slay him and throw him into the pit, and see what becomes of his dreams." Resnicoff noted that, from time immemorial, there have been those who thought they could kill the dream by slaying the dreamer, but – as the example of King's life shows – such people are always wrong.

Japan

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is observed in the Japanese city of Hiroshima. In January 2005, Mayor Tadatoshi Akiba held a special banquet at the mayor's office as an act of unifying his city's call for peace with King's message of human rights.

Netherlands

Every year since 1987, the Dr. Martin Luther King Tribute and Dinner has been held in Wassenaar, The Netherlands. The Tribute includes young people and veterans of the Civil Rights Movement as well as music. It always ends with everyone holding hands in a circle and singing "We Shall Overcome". The Tribute is held on the last Sunday in January.

Dates

1986–2103

Observed on the third Monday in January.

Date	Years
January 21		1991		2002	2008	2013	2019		2030	2036	2041	2047		2058	2064	2069	2075		2086	2092	2097
January 20	1986	1992	1997	2003		2014	2020	2025	2031		2042	2048	2053	2059		2070	2076	2081	2087		2098
January 19	1987		1998	2004	2009	2015		2026	2032	2037	2043		2054	2060	2065	2071		2082	2088	2093	2099
January 18	1988	1993	1999		2010	2016	2021	2027		2038	2044	2049	2055		2066	2072	2077	2083		2094	2100
January 17		1994	2000	2005	2011		2022	2028	2033	2039		2050	2056	2061	2067		2078	2084	2089	2095	2101
January 16	1989	1995		2006	2012	2017	2023		2034	2040	2045	2051		2062	2068	2073	2079		2090	2096	2102
January 15	1990	1996	2001	2007		2018	2024	2029	2035		2046	2052	2057	2063		2074	2080	2085	2091		2103

References

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^ Blakemore, Erin (January 10, 2018). "The Fight for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day". History.com. Archived from the original on January 20, 2021. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
^ Wolfensberger, Don (January 14, 2008). "The Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday: The Long Struggle in Congress, An Introductory Essay" (PDF). Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 3, 2011. Retrieved January 16, 2011.
^ Dewar, Helen (October 4, 1983). "Helms Stalls King's Day in Senate". The Washington Post. p. A01. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved January 16, 2011.
^ Romero, Frances (January 18, 2010). "A Brief History of Martin Luther King Jr. Day". Time. Archived from the original on January 20, 2009.
^ Courtwright, David T. (2010). No Right Turn: Conservative Politics in a Liberal America. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. p. 13. ISBN 978-0-674-04677-1. Archived from the original on January 16, 2023. Retrieved November 16, 2020.
^ Younge, Gary (September 2–9, 2013). "The Misremembering of 'I Have a Dream'". The Nation. Archived from the original on April 26, 2015. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
^ Woolley, John T.; Gerhard Peters (November 2, 1983). "Ronald Reagan: Remarks on Signing the Bill Making the Birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. a National Holiday". The American Presidency Project. Archived from the original on July 20, 2011. Retrieved January 16, 2011.
^ Pub. L. 98–399, 98 Stat. 1475, enacted August 27, 1984
^ "TO SUSPEND THE RULES AND PASS H.R. 3706, A BILL AMENDING TITLE 5, UNITED STATES CODE TO MAKE THE BIRTHDAY OF MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR., A LEGAL PUBLIC HOLIDAY. (MOTION PASSED;2/3 REQUIRED)". Archived from the original on May 20, 2020. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
^ "TO PASS H.R. 3706. (MOTION PASSED) SEE NOTE(S) 19". Archived from the original on May 20, 2020. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
^ Dewar, Helen (October 20, 1983). "Solemn Senate Votes For National Holiday Honoring Rev. King". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on January 23, 2019. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
^ May, Ashley (January 18, 2019). "What is open and closed on Martin Luther King Jr. Day?". USA Today. Archived from the original on January 18, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
^ Woolley, John T.; Gerhard Peters (May 17, 1989). "George Bush: Remarks on Signing the Martin Luther King Jr. Federal Holiday Commission Extension Act". The American Presidency Project. Archived from the original on October 2, 2012. Retrieved January 16, 2011.
^ Pub. L. 101–30, 103 Stat. 60, enacted May 17, 1989
^ Gilbreth, Donna (1997). "Rise and Fall of Fast Day". New Hampshire State Library. Archived from the original on January 2, 2011. Retrieved January 17, 2011.
^ "N.H.'s Martin Luther King Jr. Day Didn't Happen Without A Fight". New Hampshire Public Radio. August 27, 2013. Archived from the original on August 15, 2014. Retrieved August 27, 2013.
^ Ye Hee Lee, Michelle (January 15, 2012). "Recalling Arizona's struggle for MLK holiday". The Arizona Republic. Archived from the original on January 16, 2023. Retrieved January 20, 2013.
^ "Civil Rights Day in United States". timeanddate.com. Time and Date AS. Archived from the original on March 29, 2015. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
^ "tucsonsentinel.com". tucsonsentinel.com. Archived from the original on February 5, 2013. Retrieved February 5, 2013.
^ Shumway, Jim (November 26, 1990). "STATE OF ARIZONA OFFICIAL CANVASS – GENERAL ELECTION – November 6, 1990" (PDF). Arizona Secretary of State ~ Home Page. Arizona Secretary of State. p. 12. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 17, 2015. Retrieved April 11, 2015.
^ Reingold, Beth (2000). Representing Women: Sex, Gender, and Legislative Behavior in Arizona and California. Univ of North Carolina Press. pp. 66–. ISBN 9780807848500. Retrieved May 4, 2014.
^ The History of Martin Luther King Day Archived July 4, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, Infoplease
^ Goldberg, Carey (May 26, 1999). "Contrarian New Hampshire To Honor Dr. King, at Last". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 11, 2012. Retrieved January 17, 2011.
^ "Calendar". Alabama.gov. Archived from the original on February 5, 2017. Retrieved January 5, 2015.
^ "1–301. Holidays enumerated". Arizona Legislature. Archived from the original on January 10, 2008. Retrieved January 22, 2008.
^ "TItle 73". Idaho.gov. Archived from the original on September 6, 2015. Retrieved January 6, 2015.
^ "State Holidays". MS.gov. Archived from the original on June 18, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
^ "CHAPTER 288 HOLIDAYS". New Hampshire General Court. Archived from the original on April 9, 2008. Retrieved January 14, 2008.
^ Petrie, Phil W. (May–June 2000). "The MLK holiday: Branches work to make it work". The New Crisis. Archived from the original on January 19, 2015. Retrieved November 12, 2008.
^ Duran, April (April 10, 2000). "Virginia creates holiday honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr". On The Lege. Virginia Commonwealth University. Archived from the original on July 11, 2010. Retrieved January 17, 2011.
^ "New state laws that go into effect July 1". CBS 19 News. Charlottesville, Virginia. July 1, 2020. Archived from the original on July 16, 2020. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
^ "Liz Byrd, First Black Woman in Wyoming's Legislature | WyoHistory.org". www.wyohistory.org. Archived from the original on January 2, 2020. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
^ "Does Observing Martin Luther King Jr. Day Align With Your Company Values?". Yahoo Video. January 14, 2021. Archived from the original on January 16, 2023. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
^ Stewart, Jocelyn (January 16, 2006). "MLK Day's crafters urged a day of meaning, service". Contra Costa Times.
^ "Volunteer opportunities and resources for organizing an MLK Day of Service event". Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service homepage. Corporation for National and Community Service. Archived from the original on January 16, 2018. Retrieved January 16, 2018.
^ "Greater Philadelphia Martin Luther King Day of Service". Global Citizen. Archived from the original on June 30, 2009. Retrieved January 16, 2007.
^ Moore, Doug (January 16, 2011). "MLK events in Missouri form man's legacy". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Archived from the original on January 20, 2011.
^ "About the MLK Day of Service". Corporation for National and Community Service. Archived from the original on September 17, 2020. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
^ "President Proclaims Sept. 11 Patriot Day and National Day of Service, Remembrance". U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE. Archived from the original on May 3, 2021. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
^ "Biography: Martin Luther King Jr. Praised Cesar Chavez for His 'Indefatigable Work' – UFW". October 3, 2019. Archived from the original on December 1, 2021. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
^ "California: Chavez Holiday - Rural Migration News | Migration Dialogue". Archived from the original on July 13, 2020. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
^ Miller, David (2008). "City of Toronto Proclamation". City of Toronto government. Archived from the original on July 7, 2012.
^ "City of Ottawa observes Martin Luther King Day for first time in 2005 | CBC News". Archived from the original on October 1, 2020. Retrieved January 14, 2020.
^ The Jewish Week & The American Examiner, pg 37, February 3, 1986.
^ "Arnold Resnicoff". Library of Congress Veterans History Project Oral History. May 2010. Archived from the original on November 18, 2018. Retrieved January 16, 2017. At 1 hour 37 Min.
^ "Mayor's Speech at U.S. Conference of Mayors' Luncheon in commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr". city.hiroshima.lg.jp. Archived from the original on June 5, 2016. Retrieved January 18, 2016.
^ "Martin Luther King, Jr. Tribute Dinner". U.S. Embassy & Consulate in the Netherlands. January 30, 2017. Archived from the original on March 31, 2017. Retrieved March 30, 2017.
^ "Annual Tribute and Dinner in Honour of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr". The Hague Online. Archived from the original on January 16, 2023. Retrieved January 23, 2021.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

Martin Luther King Jr. Federal Holiday Commission at the Federal Register
Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service official government site
King Holiday and Service Act of 1994 Archived December 15, 2012, at the Wayback Machine at THOMAS
Remarks on Signing the King Holiday and Service Act of 1994, President William J. Clinton, The American Presidency Project, August 23, 1994
The King Center for Nonviolent Social Change
N.H.'s Martin Luther King Jr. Day Didn't Happen Without A Fight

Martin Luther King Jr.

Speeches, writings, movements, and protests

Speeches	"Give Us the Ballot" (1957) "I Have a Dream" (1963) "How Long, Not Long" (1965) "Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence" (1967) "I've Been to the Mountaintop" (1968)
Writings	Stride Toward Freedom (1958) "What Is Man?" (1959) "Second Emancipation Proclamation" Strength to Love (1963) "Letter from Birmingham Jail" (1963) Why We Can't Wait (1964) Conscience for Change (1967) Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community? (1967)
Movements and protests	Montgomery bus boycott (1955–1956) Prayer Pilgrimage for Freedom (1957) Albany Movement (1961–1962) Birmingham campaign (1963) March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom (1963) St. Augustine movement (1963–1964) Selma to Montgomery marches (1965) Chicago Freedom Movement (1966) Mississippi March Against Fear (1966) Anti-Vietnam War movement (1967) Memphis sanitation strike (1968) Poor People's Campaign (1968)

People

Family

Coretta Scott King (wife)
Yolanda King (daughter)
Martin Luther King III (son)
Dexter King (son)
Bernice King (daughter)
Martin Luther King Sr. (father)
Alberta Williams King (mother)
Christine King Farris (sister)
A. D. King (brother)
James Albert King (grandfather)
Alveda King (niece)

Other
leaders

Ralph Abernathy (mentor, colleague)
Ella Baker (colleague)
James Bevel (strategist / colleague)
Dorothy Cotton (colleague)
Jesse Jackson (protégé)
Bernard Lafayette (colleague)
James Lawson (colleague)
John Lewis (colleague)
Joseph Lowery (colleague)
Benjamin Mays (mentor)
Diane Nash (colleague)
James Orange (colleague)
Bayard Rustin (advisor)
Fred Shuttlesworth (colleague)
C. T. Vivian (colleague)
Wyatt Walker (colleague)
Hosea Williams (colleague)
Andrew Young (colleague)

Assassination
Lorraine Motel (now National Civil Rights Museum) Riots Funeral James Earl Ray Jack Kershaw U.S. House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA) Martin Luther King Jr. Records Collection Act Loyd Jowers Trial Conspiracy theories

Media

Film	King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis (1970 documentary) Our Friend, Martin (1999 animated) Boycott (2001 film) The Witness: From the Balcony of Room 306 (2008 documentary) Selma (2014 film) All the Way (2016 film) King in the Wilderness (2018 documentary) MLK/FBI (2020 documentary) Rustin (2023 film)
Television	King (1978 miniseries) "The First Store" (The Jeffersons, 1980) "Great X-Pectations" (A Different World, 1993) "The Promised Land" (New York Undercover, 1997) Selma, Lord, Selma (1999) "Return of the King" (The Boondocks, 2006) Alpha Man: The Brotherhood of MLK (2011 documentary) Genius (MLK/X, 2024)
Plays	The Meeting (1987) The Mountaintop (2009) I Dream (2010) All the Way (2012)
Illustrated	Martin Luther King and the Montgomery Story (1957 comic book)
Music	"Abraham, Martin and John" (Dion) "March! For Martin Luther King" (John Fahey) "Martin Luther King's Dream" (Strawbs) "Happy Birthday" (Stevie Wonder) "Pride (In the Name of Love)" (U2) "MLK" (U2) "King Holiday" (King Dream Chorus and Holiday Crew) "By the Time I Get to Arizona" (Public Enemy) "Shed a Little Light" (James Taylor) "Up to the Mountain" (Patti Griffin) "Never Alone Martin" (Jason Upton) "Symphony of Brotherhood" (Miri Ben-Ari) Joseph Schwantner: New Morning for the World; Nicolas Flagello: The Passion of Martin Luther King (1995 album) "A Dream" (Common featuring will.i.am) "Glory" (Common and John Legend)
Related	Civil rights movement in popular culture Estate of Martin Luther King, Jr., Inc. v. CBS, Inc. King v. Trustees of Boston Univ.

Related topics

v t e Federal holidays in the United States
Current	New Year's Day Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. Washington's Birthday Memorial Day Juneteenth Independence Day Labor Day Columbus Day Veterans Day Thanksgiving Day Christmas Day
Proposed	VE Day (1945) Victory Day (1950) Flag Day (1950) Election Day/Democracy Day (1993, 2005, 2014) Malcolm X Day (1993–1994) Cesar Chavez Day (2008) Susan B. Anthony Day (2011) Native American Day (2013) Patriot Day (2021) Rosa Parks Day (2021)
Related	Uniform Monday Holiday Act

Civil rights movement (1954–1968)

Events
(timeline)

Prior to 1954	Journey of Reconciliation Executive Order 9981 Murders of Harry and Harriette Moore Sweatt v. Painter (1950) McLaurin v. Oklahoma State Regents (1950) Baton Rouge bus boycott
1954–1959	Brown v. Board of Education Bolling v. Sharpe Briggs v. Elliott Davis v. Prince Edward County Gebhart v. Belton Sarah Keys v. Carolina Coach Company Emmett Till Montgomery bus boycott Browder v. Gayle Tallahassee bus boycott Mansfield school desegregation 1957 Prayer Pilgrimage for Freedom "Give Us the Ballot" Royal Ice Cream sit-in Little Rock Nine Cooper v. Aaron Civil Rights Act of 1957 Ministers' Manifesto Katz Drug Store sit-in Kissing Case Biloxi wade-ins
1960–1963	New Year's Day March Sit-in movement Greensboro sit-ins Nashville sit-ins Sibley Commission Atlanta sit-ins Savannah Protest Movement Greenville Eight Civil Rights Act of 1960 Ax Handle Saturday Gomillion v. Lightfoot Boynton v. Virginia University of Georgia desegregation riot Rock Hill sit-ins Robert F. Kennedy's Law Day Address Freedom Rides Anniston bombing Birmingham attack Garner v. Louisiana Albany Movement Cambridge movement University of Chicago sit-ins "Second Emancipation Proclamation" Meredith enrollment, Ole Miss riot Atlanta's Berlin Wall "Segregation now, segregation forever" Stand in the Schoolhouse Door 1963 Birmingham campaign Letter from Birmingham Jail Children's Crusade Birmingham riot 16th Street Baptist Church bombing John F. Kennedy's speech to the nation on Civil Rights Detroit Walk to Freedom March on Washington "I Have a Dream" Big Six St. Augustine movement
1964–1968	Twenty-fourth Amendment Chester school protests Bloody Tuesday 1964 Monson Motor Lodge protests Freedom Summer workers' murders Civil Rights Act of 1964 Heart of Atlanta Motel, Inc. v. United States Katzenbach v. McClung 1964–1965 Scripto strike 1965 Selma to Montgomery marches "How Long, Not Long" Voting Rights Act of 1965 Harper v. Virginia Board of Elections March Against Fear White House Conference on Civil Rights Chicago Freedom Movement/Chicago open housing movement Loving v. Virginia Memphis sanitation strike King assassination funeral riots Civil Rights Act of 1968 Poor People's Campaign Green v. County School Board of New Kent County Jones v. Alfred H. Mayer Co. 1968 Olympics Black Power salute

Activist
groups

Activists

By region

Movement
songs

Influences

Legacy

Noted
historians

Civil rights movement portal

v t e Holidays, observances, and celebrations in the United States
January	New Year's Day (federal) Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. (federal) Birthday of Eugenio María de Hostos (PR) Confederate Heroes Day (TX) Eve of Three Kings' Day (PR, religious) Feast of Epiphany / Feast of Theophany (religious) Fred Korematsu Day (AZ, CA, FL, HI, VA) Idaho Human Rights Day (ID) Inauguration Day (federal quadrennial) Kansas Day (KS) Makar Sankranti / Pongal (religious) Robert E. Lee Day (FL) Stephen Foster Memorial Day (36) The Eighth (LA) Three Kings' Day (PR, VI, religious) World Religion Day (religious)
January–February	Chinese New Year / Lunar New Year (NY, cultural, religious) Super Bowl Sunday Vasant Panchami (religious)
February American Heart Month Black History Month	Washington's Birthday (federal) Valentine's Day Birthday of Luis Muñoz Marín (PR) Candlemas (religious) Charles Darwin Day / Darwin Day (CA, DE) Day of Remembrance (CA, OR, WA, cultural) Georgia Day (GA) Groundhog Day Imbolc (religious) Lincoln's Birthday (CA, CT, IL, IN, MO, NY, WV) National Girls and Women in Sports Day National Freedom Day (36) Nirvana Day (religious) Presentation of Our Lord to the Temple (religious) Promised Reformer Day (religious) Ronald Reagan Day (CA) Rosa Parks Day (CA, MO) Saviours' Day (religious) Susan B. Anthony Day (CA, FL, NY, WI, WV, proposed federal) Tu B’shvat (religious)
February–March	Mardi Gras Ash Wednesday (PR, religious) Carnival (PR, VI, religious) Clean Monday (religious) Courir de Mardi Gras (religious) Intercalary Days (religious) Mahashivaratri (religious) Purim (religious) Shrove Tuesday (religious) Super Tuesday
March Irish-American Heritage Month Colon Cancer Awareness Month Women's History Month	Saint Patrick's Day (religious) Spring break (week) Annunciation of the Virgin Mary / Annunciation of the Theotokos (religious) Casimir Pulaski Day (IL) Cesar Chavez Day (CA, CO, TX, proposed federal) Emancipation Day in Puerto Rico (PR, cultural) Evacuation Day (Suffolk County, MA) Harriet Tubman Day (NY) Hola Mohalla (religious) Holi (NY, religious) L. Ron Hubbard's Birthday (religious) Lailat al-Mi'raj (religious) Liberation and Freedom Day (Charlottesville, VA, cultural) Mardi Gras (AL (in two counties), LA) Maryland Day (MD) Medal of Honor Day National Poison Prevention Week (week) Nowruz (cultural, religious) Ostara (religious) Pi Day Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole Day (HI) Promised Messiah Day (religious) Saint Joseph's Day (religious) Seward's Day (AK) Texas Independence Day (TX) Town Meeting Day (VT) Transfer Day (VI) Trans Day of Visibility (cultural)
March–April	Easter (religious) Good Friday (CT, NC, PR, NJ, VI, religious) Hanuman Jayanti (religious) Holy Thursday (PR, VI, religious) Holy Week (PR, religious, week) Lazarus Saturday (religious) Mahavir Janma Kalyanak (religious) Mesha Sankranti / Hindu New Year (religious) Palm Sunday (PR, religious) Passover (religious, week) Easter Monday / Bright Monday (VI, religious) Ramnavami (religious) Chandramana Uugadi / Souramana Uugadi (religious)
April Arab American Heritage Month Confederate History Month	420 April Fools' Day Arbor Day Birthday of José de Diego (PR) Confederate Memorial Day (AL, MS) Days of Remembrance of the Victims of the Holocaust (week) Earth Day Emancipation Day (cultural) Thomas Jefferson's Birthday (AL) Lag B’Omer (religious) Last Friday of Great Lent (religious) Pascua Florida (FL) Patriots' Day (MA, ME) Ridván (religious) San Jacinto Day (TX) Siblings Day Walpurgis Night (religious) Yom Ha'atzmaut (cultural, religious)
May Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Jewish American Heritage Month Military Appreciation Month	Memorial Day (federal) Mother's Day (36) Cinco de Mayo Ascension of Baháʼu'lláh (religious) Ascension of Our Lord (religious) Caliphate Day (religious) Declaration of the Bab (religious) Harvey Milk Day (CA) International Workers' Day / May Day (CA, unofficial, proposed state) Law Day (36) Loyalty Day (36) Malcolm X Day (CA, IL, proposed federal) Military Spouse Day National Day of Prayer (36) National Day of Reason National Defense Transportation Day (36) National Maritime Day (36) Peace Officers Memorial Day (36) Pentecost (religious) Shavuot (religious) Truman Day (MO) Vesak / Buddha's Birthday (religious)
June Pride Month	Juneteenth (federal, cultural) Father's Day (36) Bunker Hill Day (Suffolk County, MA) Carolina Day (SC) Don Young Day (AK) Fast of the Holy Apostles (religious) Flag Day (36, proposed federal) Helen Keller Day (PA) Honor America Days (3 weeks) Jefferson Davis Day (AL, FL) Kamehameha Day (HI) Litha (religious) Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev Sahib (religious) Odunde Festival (Philadelphia, PA, cultural) Senior Week (week) Saint John's Day (PR, religious) West Virginia Day (WV)
July	Independence Day (federal) Asalha Puja Day (religious) Birthday of Don Luis Muñoz Rivera (PR) Birthday of Dr. José Celso Barbosa (PR) Emancipation Day in the U.S. Virgin Islands (VI, cultural) Guru Purnima (religious) Khordad Sal (religious) Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea (HI, unofficial, cultural) Martyrdom of the Báb (religious) Parents' Day (36) Pioneer Day (UT) Puerto Rico Constitution Day (PR)
July–August	Summer vacation Tisha B'Av (religious)
August	American Family Day (AZ) Barack Obama Day in Illinois (IL) Bennington Battle Day (VT) Dormition of the Theotokos (religious) Eid-e-Ghadeer (religious) Fast in Honor of the Holy Mother of Lord Jesus (religious) Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (religious) Hawaii Admission Day / Statehood Day (HI) Krishna Janmashtami (religious) Lammas (religious) Lyndon Baines Johnson Day (TX) Naga Panchami (religious) National Aviation Day (36) Paryushana (religious) Raksha Bandhan (religious) Transfiguration of the Lord (religious) Victory Day (RI) Women's Equality Day (36)
September Prostate Cancer Awareness Month Childhood Cancer Awareness Month Gospel Music Heritage Month	Labor Day (federal) Brazilian Day (NY, cultural) California Admission Day (CA) Carl Garner Federal Lands Cleanup Day (36) Constitution Day and Citizenship Day (36) Constitution Week Defenders Day (MD) Elevation of the Holy Cross (religious) Feast of San Gennaro (NY, cultural, religious) Ganesh Chaturthi (religious) Gold Star Mother's Day (36) His Holiness Sakya Trizin's Birthday (religious) Mabon (religious) National Grandparents Day (36) National Payroll Week (week) Nativity of Mary / Nativity of the Theotokos (religious) Native American Day (proposed federal) Patriot Day (36) Von Steuben Day
September–October Hispanic Heritage Month	Chehlum Imam Hussain (religious) Oktoberfest Pitri Paksha (religious) Rosh Hashanah / Feast of Trumpets (TX, NY, religious) Shemini Atzeret (religious) Simchat Torah (religious) Vijaya Dashami (religious) Yom Kippur / Day of Atonement (TX, NY, religious)
October Breast Cancer Awareness Month Disability Employment Awareness Month Italian-American Heritage and Culture Month Filipino American History Month LGBT History Month	Columbus Day (federal) Halloween Alaska Day (AK) Child Health Day (36) General Pulaski Memorial Day German-American Day Indigenous Peoples' Day International Day of Non-Violence Leif Erikson Day (36) Missouri Day (MO) Nanomonestotse (cultural) National School Lunch Week (week) Native American Day in South Dakota (SD) Nevada Day (NV) Spirit Day (cultural) Sweetest Day Sukkot / Feast of Tabernacles (religious, week) Virgin Islands–Puerto Rico Friendship Day (PR, VI) White Cane Safety Day (36)
October–November	Birth of the Báb (religious) Birth of Baháʼu'lláh (religious) Day of the Dead (VI) Diwali (NY, religious) Mawlid al-Nabi (religious)
November Native American Indian Heritage Month	Veterans Day (federal) Thanksgiving (federal) Ascension of ‘Abdu’l Baha (religious) All Saints' Day (religious) Beginning of the Nativity Fast (religious) Beltane / Samhain (religious) Barack Obama Day in Alabama (Perry County, AL) D. Hamilton Jackson Day (VI) Day after Thanksgiving (24) Day of the Covenant (religious) Discovery of Puerto Rico Day (PR) Election Day (CA, DE, HI, KY, MT, NJ, NY, OH, PR, VA, WV, proposed federal) Family Day (NV) Friendsgiving Guru Nanak Gurpurab (religious) Hanukkah (religious) Lā Kūʻokoʻa (HI, unofficial, cultural) Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur (religious) Native American Heritage Day (MD, WA, cultural) Presentation of the Theotokos to the Temple (religious) Trans Day of Remembrance (cultural) Unthanksgiving Day (cultural)
December	Christmas (religious, federal) New Year's Eve Advent Sunday (religious) Alabama Day (AL) Birthday of Guru Gobind Singh Sahib (religious) Bodhi Day (religious) Chalica (religious) Christmas Eve (KY, NC, SC, PR, VI) Day after Christmas (KY, NC, SC, TX, VI) Festivus HumanLight Hanukkah (religious, week) Immaculate Conception (religious) Indiana Day (IN) Kwanzaa (cultural, week) Milad Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin (religious) National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day (36) Nativity of Jesus (religious) Old Year's Night (VI) Pan American Aviation Day (36) Pancha Ganapati (religious, week) Rosa Parks Day (OH, OR) Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (religious) Wright Brothers Day (36) Yule (religious) Zartosht No-Diso (religious)
Varies (year round)	Eid al-Adha (NY, religious) Eid al-Fitr (NY, religious) Islamic New Year (religious) Yawm al-Arafa (religious) Hajj (religious) Laylat al-Qadr (religious) Navaratri (religious, four times a year) Obon (religious) Onam (religious) Ramadan (religious, month) Ghost Festival (religious) Yawm Aashura (religious)
Legend: (federal) = federal holidays, (abbreviation) = state/territorial holidays, (religious) = religious holidays, (cultural) = holiday related to a specific racial/ethnic group or sexual minority, (week) = week-long holidays, (month) = month-long holidays, (36) = Title 36 Observances and Ceremonies See also: Lists of holidays, Hallmark holidays, Public holidays in the United States, Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands.

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