MLK Day

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is a federal holiday in the United States declared in 1983 and observed on the third Monday of January.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is a federal holiday in the United States declared in 1983 and observed on the third Monday of January.  It is also called MLK Day, King Day, and is also known as the day of service.  It commemorates Martin Luther King, Jr. a civil rights leader that advocated the use of nonviolent means to end racial segregation.

Martin Luther King, Jr. was born on January 15, 1929 and the third Monday of January was chosen for a federal holiday to fall around his birthday.  The holiday became federally recognized in 1986, nearly 20 years after his assassination (April 4, 1968).  Each state declared the holiday independently with the last state recognizing it in 2000. 

Dr. King became the spokesman for the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955, which was a campaign to stop segregation of the city’s bus lines.  He continued to serve in leadership roles leading up to the 1963 March on Washington where he famously delivered his “I Have a Dream Speech.”  Partly due to the march, congress passed the Civil Rights Act in 1964 and was present in the Oval Office as Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Act into law.  

Dr. King advocated for civil disobedience, such as boycotting businesses and peaceful protests, thus MLK Day is designated as a national day of service where all Americans are encouraged to volunteer in their communities.  In Albuquerque, a MLK Commemorative March and ceremony occurs each January.  Hundreds march from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue from the University of New Mexico to Downtown Albuquerque to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. King.  
Source:  https://thekingcenter.org/ 

This page was last updated on: January 2, 2025.