Schools are out, offices are closed, and festivals are hosted to honor the birthday of one of America’s most esteemed civil rights leaders. Martin Luther King Jr. Day has been celebrated for almost 40 years in the United States, since 1986 when the federal holiday was first recognized. Despite Martin Luther King’s revolutionary advancements in the civil rights movement, it took 15 years after his assassination for the holiday to be observed nationally. But, thanks to activists working alongside passionate political heroes, Americans now proudly honor Martin Luther King Jr. and the dream he had for this country each year on the third Monday in January.
Before it was a federal holiday, MLK Day was celebrated on a local level in places where King’s work was most impactful. Atlanta, Georgia was one of the first places to recognize his work with commemorative services held on January 15 at Ebenezer Baptist Church. Prominent members of the civil rights movement Coretta Scott King and Ralph Abernathy were in attendance at these services. Other traditions of the original holiday were the placing of a wreath on King’s grave, by his son, Martin Luther King III. Notable speakers addressed the community and the congregation sang “We Shall Overcome.”
The bill to create a holiday in King’s honor was originally proposed to the House of Representatives just four days after he was assassinated by John Conyers, a Democratic Michigan Congressman. Despite John Conyers’ efforts, the bill didn’t go to vote in the House until 1979, on what would’ve been King’s 50th birthday. Even with the support of President Jimmy Carter, the testimonial of Mrs. King, and a petition with 300,000 signatures supporting the bill, it still did not pass the house due to the opposition led by Republican Congressman Gene Taylor, who corroborated the excessive cost of a new federal holiday.
The motion continued to gain support outside the political realm. After its rejection from the House, it gained public support after the endorsement of singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder. In his album Hotter than July, the song “Happy Birthday” paid homage to King’s vision and became a petition of its own for a holiday honoring the achievements of the great civil rights leader. Wonder even appeared alongside Coretta Scott King at rallies and ended a four-month tour to perform a benefit concert on the National Mall, where Martin Luther King delivered his famed “I Have a Dream” speech.
When the bill returned to the House in 1983, activists were ready. Corretta Scott King
and Stevie Wonder worked with the Congressional Black Caucus to collect 6 million signatures to back the bill. It easily passed the House in a 338 to 90 vote. Once it moved to the Senate, however, its movement was paused when Republican North Carolina Senator Jesse Helms submitted documents claiming King had been tied to the communist party to have the legislation dismissed. This attempt failed, however, when a fellow senator, Democratic Daniel Patrick Moynihan threw it to the ground, stomped on it, and proclaimed it to be a “packet of filth.” So, after two more days of deliberation and debate, the bill was passed and then reluctantly signed into law by President Ronald Reagan.
The work of activists and politicians was not far from over however, as there was still the question of how America should celebrate the holiday. As it was, the President had a different idea of its purpose than that of Coretta Scott King and her followers. The former considered it a day to emphasize the importance of respect for the U.S. Constitution, Christianity within society and individual rights of Americans. Whereas advocates believed it should be centered around Martin Luther King’s original philosophies of civil rights and nonviolence. A day to celebrate peace.
So, a committee was formed called the Martin Luther King Jr. Federal Holiday Commision for the purpose of creating traditions for citizens to follow. Coretta Scott King was chairwoman. Additional members included men and women of the congress, presidential appointees, and important figures in the business, labor, religion, civil rights, and entertainment sectors. Despite its efforts, the group’s influence slowly declined as President Raegan began to appoint Black conservatives to counter the ideals of the Black liberals on the commission. It disbanded in 1996 when King’s second song Dexter attacked members for inappropriate use of his father’s image and words.
In the modern day, each state celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. Day a little differently. Some states celebrate it concurrently with other holidays unique to their state. For example, Mississippi and Alabama celebrate “Robert E. Lee Day” to honor the Confederate General’s birthday on January 19th.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day has been recognized in all 50 states since the year 2000.
