Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Observed Today
January 21, 2013 10:00 AM Today is the observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. day, a governmental holiday and day off from school. Many financial institutions will be closed today, and there is no regular mail delivery.
According to Wikipedia:
“Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is a United States federal holiday marking the birthday of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It is observed on the third Monday of January each year, which is around the time of King’s birthday, January 15.
King was the chief spokesman for nonviolent activism in the civil rights movement, which successfully protested racial discrimination in federal and state law. The campaign for a federal holiday in King’s honor began soon after his assassination in 1968. Ronald Reagan signed the holiday into law in 1983, and it was first observed on January 20, 1986.
It was officially observed in all 50 states for the first time in 2000.”
This year, the Martin Luther King Day observance takes place on the same day as President Obama’s second-term inauguration.
Here is a portion of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” Speech given on August 28, 1963 in Washington, D.C.
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