Martin Luther King Jr. Day
The first Martin Luther King Jr. Day was celebrated
on
Monday, January 20, 1986. It was the
first holiday celebrating the accomplishments of an African-American
person. After that, many wanted to make
his birthday, January 15th, a national holiday.
Some wanted the holiday to be observed on the
date of his death. In 1986, President
Ronald Reagan made the third Monday in January the official Martin
Luther King
Jr. holiday.
People
honor Martin Luther King Jr. on this day for his courageous and strong
spirit. He fought for the equal rights
of African-Americans in our country, led the Montgomery bus boycotts,
organized
non-violent protests of inequality and segregation, and led the March
on
Some of the symbols that go with this holiday are pictures of Martin Luther King Jr., a white hand shaking hands with a black hand, and the words, “I Have a Dream.” To celebrate this day, many have the day off work or school and some march in parades, watch television coverage or listen to radio coverage of the famous “I Have a Dream” speech, and attend festivals.
