Martin Luther King Day
Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. It is an American federal holiday marking the birthday of the famous African-American civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. It is observed on the third Monday of January each year. The date was selected because of it's proximity to the time of Dr. King's birthday, January 15. Dr. King was the most prominent spokesman for nonviolent activism in the civil rights movement during the 1960s. He and his supporters protested racial discrimination in federal and state law. King was assassinated on April 4, 1968, and the campaign for a federal holiday in King's honor began shortly thereafter. It wasn't until 1983 when President Ronald Reagan signed the holiday into law and it was first observed three years later. At first, some states resisted observing the holiday as such, and it wasn't until 2000 that it was officially observed in all 50 states for the first time.
The idea of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day as a holiday was first promoted by labor unions. The first elected politicians to promote the idea in legislation were United States Representative John Conyers (a Democrat from Michigan) and United States Senator Edward Brooke (a Republican from Massachusetts), who introduced a bill in Congress to make King's birthday a national holiday. The bill first came to a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1979, but it fell five votes short of passing. Opponents argued that a paid holiday for federal employees would be too expensive, and that a holiday to honor a private citizen would be unusual. The only other unelected person having a holiday for him was Christopher Columbus.
The King Center mounted a campaign seeking support from the public and from the corporate community. Six million signatures were collected for a petition to Congress to pass the law, which is believed to be the largest petition in favor of an issue in U.S. history. This gave the needed impetus for Congress to pass a bill creating the holiday and on November 2, 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed the bill (proposed by Representative Katie Hall of Indiana) into law in a ceremony at the Rose Garden of the White House, attended by Dr. King's widow, Coretta Scott King. The holiday was observed for the first time on January 20, 1986. The bill established the Martin Luther King, Jr. Federal Holiday Commission to oversee observance of the holiday, and Mrs. King was made a member of this commission for life by President George H. W. Bush in May 1989.
Senators Jesse Helms and John Porter East (both North Carolina Republicans) led opposition to the bill and took the position that King was not important enough to receive such an honor. Helms criticized King's opposition to the Vietnam War and led a filibuster against the bill. He also submitted a 300-page document to the Senate alleging that King had associations with communists. New York Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan declared the document a "packet of filth", threw it on the Senate floor and stomped on it. President Reagan was also originally opposed the holiday, citing cost concerns, but he signed the bill into law after it passed with a 338 to 90 margin in favor in the House of Representatives. Senator John McCain of Arizona was one of those who voted against the creation of the holiday to honor Dr. King. He also defended Arizona Republican Governor Evan Mecham's rescission of the state holiday in honor of King created by his Democratic predecessor. After opposition to this position grew significantly, McCain reversed his position, and encouraged his home state of Arizona to recognize the holiday despite opposition from Mecham. During the 2008 presidential campaign, McCain was criticized for his initial opposition to the measure. In 1990 the National Football League threatened to move the Super Bowl that was planned to be in Arizona in 1993. Arizonans were given the opportunity to vote to observe the holiday and 76% of voters voted to reject the holiday. As a result, the state lost the Super Bowl, which moved to Pasadena, California. Arizona voters approved the holiday two years later.
On May 2, 2000, South Carolina governor Jim Hodges signed a bill to make Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday an official state holiday. South Carolina was the last state to recognize the day as a paid holiday for all state employees.
The idea of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day as a holiday was first promoted by labor unions. The first elected politicians to promote the idea in legislation were United States Representative John Conyers (a Democrat from Michigan) and United States Senator Edward Brooke (a Republican from Massachusetts), who introduced a bill in Congress to make King's birthday a national holiday. The bill first came to a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1979, but it fell five votes short of passing. Opponents argued that a paid holiday for federal employees would be too expensive, and that a holiday to honor a private citizen would be unusual. The only other unelected person having a holiday for him was Christopher Columbus.
The King Center mounted a campaign seeking support from the public and from the corporate community. Six million signatures were collected for a petition to Congress to pass the law, which is believed to be the largest petition in favor of an issue in U.S. history. This gave the needed impetus for Congress to pass a bill creating the holiday and on November 2, 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed the bill (proposed by Representative Katie Hall of Indiana) into law in a ceremony at the Rose Garden of the White House, attended by Dr. King's widow, Coretta Scott King. The holiday was observed for the first time on January 20, 1986. The bill established the Martin Luther King, Jr. Federal Holiday Commission to oversee observance of the holiday, and Mrs. King was made a member of this commission for life by President George H. W. Bush in May 1989.
Senators Jesse Helms and John Porter East (both North Carolina Republicans) led opposition to the bill and took the position that King was not important enough to receive such an honor. Helms criticized King's opposition to the Vietnam War and led a filibuster against the bill. He also submitted a 300-page document to the Senate alleging that King had associations with communists. New York Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan declared the document a "packet of filth", threw it on the Senate floor and stomped on it. President Reagan was also originally opposed the holiday, citing cost concerns, but he signed the bill into law after it passed with a 338 to 90 margin in favor in the House of Representatives. Senator John McCain of Arizona was one of those who voted against the creation of the holiday to honor Dr. King. He also defended Arizona Republican Governor Evan Mecham's rescission of the state holiday in honor of King created by his Democratic predecessor. After opposition to this position grew significantly, McCain reversed his position, and encouraged his home state of Arizona to recognize the holiday despite opposition from Mecham. During the 2008 presidential campaign, McCain was criticized for his initial opposition to the measure. In 1990 the National Football League threatened to move the Super Bowl that was planned to be in Arizona in 1993. Arizonans were given the opportunity to vote to observe the holiday and 76% of voters voted to reject the holiday. As a result, the state lost the Super Bowl, which moved to Pasadena, California. Arizona voters approved the holiday two years later.
On May 2, 2000, South Carolina governor Jim Hodges signed a bill to make Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday an official state holiday. South Carolina was the last state to recognize the day as a paid holiday for all state employees.