Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. will always be remembered as the primary individual responsible for the civil rights movement as well as the chief spokesperson for nonviolent acts of protest. King’s holiday is one of four federal holidays that honor an individual.
King’s holiday has graced the third Monday of January since 1986. Ronald Reagan signed the holiday into law in 1983. There was much intoleration to the holiday as few observed it, but combined it with other holidays (because we all enjoy days off). The year 2000 was the first time all 50 states observed MLK Day.
There was much debate over the holiday becoming a national holiday. It fell 5 votes short in 1979 in the House of Representatives. Two of the arguements were that:
- A paid holiday for federal employees would be too expensive.
- A holiday honoring a private citizen would be contrary to to longstanding tradition (King never held public office)
Eventually, the bill passed and here we are in 2010 celebrating it once again. What do you think?
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