America is reflecting on the life of civil rights icon Dr. Martin Luther King Junior on this national holiday commemorating his legacy.
The movement to honor Dr. King’s birthday actually began just days after his assassination in 1968. After years of petitioning and mounting public pressure, the House of Representatives finally approved the holiday legislation in August 1983, and President Reagan signed it into law on November 2nd of that year.
Dr. King is the only American besides George Washington to have a national holiday designated for his birthday.
“We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.”
-Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Locally, you can join in a celebration virtually.
