The national Martin Luther King Day of Service was started
by former Pennsylvania U.S. Senator Harris Wofford and Atlanta Congressman John
Lewis, who co-authored the King Holiday and Service Act. The federal legislation
challenges Americans to transform the King Holiday into a day of citizen action
volunteer service in honor of Dr. King. The federal legislation was signed into
law by President Bill Clinton on August 23, 1994. Since 1996, the annual Greater
Philadelphia King Day of Service[1] has been the largest event in the nation
honoring Dr. King.
Every year on the third Monday of January schools, federal
offices, post office and banks across America close as we celebrate the newest
American national holiday
President Ronald Reagan, 15 years after Dr. King's death,
signed a bill into law making the third Monday of January a national holiday
celebrating the birth and life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr
However, it was a tough time getting the bill passed.
First a bill had to be introduced by a member of the House of Representatives.
The Speaker of the House assigned the bill to a committee where the bill was
discussed in detail.
Ronald Reagan
Meetings were held where supporters and opposers could
discuss their positions. The committee then agreed that bill should be sent
to a vote. The Rules Committee scheduled a debate on the issue. The House of
Representatives then voted on the bill. It passed the House with a vote of 338
to 90. Then it was sent to the Senate.
Again the issue of the King holiday had to pass through
committees and public hearings before a final vote was taken.
There were many who opposed the idea of holiday for Dr.
King. America had only honored two individuals with national holidays - George
Washington and Christopher Columbus. Many felt that there were other Americans
that deserved a national holiday, such as Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy
One barrier to the confirmation was the Senator from
Georgia who had denounced Dr. King as a communist.
Others feared the King holiday was meant as a way to
make up to African-Americans for slavery. Other feared the cost of the holiday,
with the extra overtime paid to federal workers who had to work on the holiday
as well as millions to those federal employees who were paid for the day
Senator Bob Dole pointed out to those critics '"I
suggest they hurry back to their pocket calculators and estimate the cost of
300 years of slavery, followed by a century or more of economic, political and
social exclusion and discrimination".
It took many years for Congress to decide to celebrate
the holiday. In the years leading up to the official decree many African-Americans
celebrated the birthday themselves with a few states declaring King's birthday
a state holiday. The bill was finally passed by both the House of Representatives
and the Senate and was signed into law on November 2, 1983
The first national celebration of the Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr. holiday took place January 20, 1986. This year the King holiday will
be celebrated on Monday January 19, 2009. The theme of this years holiday is-
Remember! Celebrate! Act! A Day On, Not A Day Off!!
