Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Day

2023 - 1 - 16

Post cover — Image courtesy of "Aljazeera.com"

What is Martin Luther King Jr Day and why is it celebrated? (Aljazeera.com)

Al Jazeera takes a look at this federal holiday and what it means in the United States.

- Reagan said the holiday was meant to remember King and “the just cause he stood for”. During his speech, he asked Americans to look at King’s life for lessons on extremism and injustice. - King led a non-violent movement. It honours the life and legacy of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. This year, it is being held on January 16. [Martin Luther King, Jr was radical: We must reclaim that legacy](/features/2021/1/18/martin-luther-king-jr-was-radical-we-must-reclaim-that-legacy?traffic_source=KeepReading) [Critical Race Theory?

The history of Martin Luther King Jr. Day (The Week Magazine)

The decades-long journey to honor Dr. King with a fully-recognized federal holiday.

[AmeriCorps](https://americorps.gov/newsroom/events/mlk-day) has nationally coordinated the day of service since its inception in 1994. They proposed the legislation to encourage Americans to make the holiday ["a day on, not a day off"](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/martin-luther-king-junior-family-says-holiday-no-cause-for-celebration/) by finding a common cause to give back to their communities. The House passed the legislation with a final vote of 338 to 90 but was met with opposition in the Senate. [King Holiday and Service Act](https://www.congress.gov/bill/103rd-congress/house-bill/1933) into law on August 23, 1994. [History Channel](https://www.history.com/news/martin-luther-king-jr-day-controversial-origins-of-the-holiday), several southern states combined the day with celebrations of Confederate leader Robert E. Helms requested to have [FBI](https://theweek.com/speedreads/442012/fbi-tried-martin-luther-king-kill-himself-threatening-letter) [surveillance](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/retropolis/wp/2017/11/04/in-the-latest-jfk-files-the-fbis-ugly-analysis-on-martin-luther-king-jr-filled-with-falsehoods/) tapes of King unsealed, but District Judge John Lewis Smith Jr. Singer and songwriter Stevie Wonder became a vocal advocate for the bill and worked hard to spread the message. King's birthday declared a national holiday to remind the whole world over, for centuries to come, that Martin Luther King Jr. He continued to be a prominent advocate for the proposed holiday and reintroduced the legislation every year with the support of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), which Conyers co-founded. John Conyers was the first to introduce a bill to recognize King's birthday as a national holiday on Apr. A 2009 report in [Time magazine](https://web.archive.org/web/20090120235156/http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1872501,00.html) said that the [King Memorial Center](https://thekingcenter.org/) in Atlanta, which was founded around the same time, sponsored the first annual observance of King's birthday, Jan. Day](https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2023/01/13/a-proclamation-on-martin-luther-king-jr-federal-holiday-2023/), a federal holiday honoring [Dr.

Statement by Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III on Martin ... (Department of Defense)

Seventy-five years ago this year, President Truman signed an executive order banning segregation in the U.S. Armed Forces. And nearly 60 years ago, ...

As Dr. Yet as a nation, we also know we still have much more to do to ensure equal rights, liberty, and justice for all. King's call to action still reminds us that the great American experiment of democracy, freedom, and equal rights requires us all to come together in a spirit of citizenship and service.

Statement of UAW President Ray Curry on Dr Martin Luther King Jr ... (uaw.org)

Our great union's core values are rooted in social justice and equality. From the start of our union, we have fought for social and economic equality for ...

Dr. Reuther and Dr. It is a day to that we must examine ourselves to see what part we play in fulfilling the dream. It is a day to reflect on how far we have come and how the dream is not yet achieved. You will make a better person of yourself, a greater nation of your country, and a finer world to live in.” From the start of our union, we have fought for social and economic equality for all people, not just our members.

Governor Mills' Statement in Honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day ... (maine.gov)

Governor Janet Mills issued the following statement today in recognition of Martin Luther King Jr. Day:

King’s legacy, let us all recommit to building a state that values and celebrates the dignity of all people, where equality of opportunity is unquestioned, and where bigotry, hatred, and injustice have no home.” reminded us that progress requires participation, and that America’s promise can only be fulfilled when our founding ideals of liberty and equality are extended to all people. “Through his life and deeds, Dr.

A cure to what ails us will require all of us. Reflecting on Martin ... (Norwich Bulletin)

Norwich's celebration of Dr. King's life was about 90 minutes at the David Ruggles Freedom Courtyard in front of our City Hall.

Such a vision would not only further forge the next link in the philosophic chain from Gandhi to King but would, I believe, liberate each of us to reach and teach those like us as well as those unlike us. King's life and reading of his words can leave no doubt that equal rights for every human being was his purpose and goal. We have stolen moments rather than meaningful ones with which we struggle to make sense of the world and how we define our lives both within and without. Our city’s celebration of Dr. on Monday, but the 94th anniversary of his birth was this past Sunday, Jan. [birthday of Dr.

Statement by Secretary Vilsack on Martin Luther King Jr. Day (USDA.gov)

WASHINGTON, January 16, 2023 – “Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy continues to serve as a powerful source of inspiration and a catalyst for action ...

King’s legacy through the values of service, nutrition, equity, and opportunity and by beautifying the community that surrounds them. Today and every day, let us strive to answer Dr. Today, people of all backgrounds in our Nation carry forth his dream: to bring justice where there is injustice, freedom where there is oppression, peace where there is violence, and opportunity where there is poverty. By virtue of their volunteer service, fresh fruits and vegetables will make their way to families in need that would otherwise not have access to such foods. Department of Agriculture is concurrent with the history of America. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy continues to serve as a powerful source of inspiration and a catalyst for action for the American people.