by Ann Woodbury Moore
Martin Luther King, Jr.'s followers did not want him to be
forgotten after his assassination. For fifteen years, they
lobbied Congress to declare a national holiday near his
birthday, January 15.
The new holiday would not just honor King. It would be a time
to remember the accomplishments—and failures—of the civil
rights movement. It also would encourage racial harmony.
Many people opposed the idea. Some claimed that adding
another federal holiday would cost employers too much money.
Others wondered why King should be remembered with a holiday
when other distinguished Americans such as Thomas Jefferson were
not.
Finally, in 1983, Congress established the third Monday in
January as Martin Luther King Day. By 1992, forty-nine states
had approved it as a state holiday. The United Nations and more
than one hundred forty foreign countries also recognize Martin
Luther King Day.
On this day, people throughout the world participate in
parades, religious services, teach-ins, concerts, and workshops.
They ring church bells in memory of King's statement "Let
freedom ring." And they march in candlelight processions to
show how King's work lit up the world.
