Governor Evers says there are many ways to honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Junior. Evers tweeted asking Wisconsinites to celebrate the Civil Rights leader by renewing a commitment to work together to build a state that is more equitable, fair and inclusive.
Like many other places, the City of Eau Claire is honoring Martin Luther King Junior.
There will be a remembrance ceremony for King at Saint James the Greater Catholic Church at six o’clock tonight and students and community members around the city are expected to participate. Students from University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire will also have a day of service today starting at noon.
Across the nation, MKL Jr. will be honored in various ways as America is reflecting on the legacy of civil rights icon. His niece Alveda King remembered one of King’s favorite quotes.
While Martin Luther King Day was created in 1983 after the signing of legislation by President Ronald Reagan, the movement to honor Dr. King’s birthday actually began 15 years earlier, days after his assassination in 1968.
The first federal MLK holiday went into effect on January 20th, 1986, though several states were still resistant to the idea. Some said King did not deserve his own holiday; several southern states chose to include celebrations for various Confederate generals on that day. In 1999, the state of New Hampshire became the last state to accept the holiday, changing its Civil Rights Day to Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
