The long struggle to establish Martin Luther King Jr. Day

The Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech in 1963 on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. He chose this location in part to honor President Abraham Lincoln as “a great American in whose symbolic shadow we stand today.” Now millions of people revere King in the same way.

On the third Monday in January – close to King’s birthday on January 15 – federal, state and local governments, institutions and various industries recognize Martin Luther King Jr. Day. For some, the holidays are just that – time off from work or school. But King’s family and others carrying on his legacy of equality, justice and nonviolent protest want Americans to remember that this holiday is really about helping others.

Although now a time-honored tradition, the establishment of the holiday had a long, difficult path to acceptance.

The idea to establish a national holiday for the civil rights icon arose as the nation was plunged into mourning. American Democrats Rep. John Conyers of Michiganone of the longest-serving members of Congress known for his liberal stance on civil rights, proposed legislation to recognize King four days after his assassination outside a motel in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968.

The supporters knew it would not be easy. King, who was 39 years old at the time, was a polarizing figure for half the country even before his death, said Lerone Martin, director of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute at Stanford University. Polls conducted by the Washington Post and the New York Times showed that most Americans did not trust King or thought he was too radical because of his speeches on poverty, housing and against the Vietnam War.

“People say King is moving too fast after 1965 and basically ‘Hey, you did the Voting Rights Act. That’s enough,'” Martin said.

The Congressional Black Caucus, founded by Conyers, tried to bring the legislation to a vote for the next 15 years. Among the Republican rebuttals – holidays don’t apply to private citizens, King was a communist or King was a womanizer. Meanwhile, his widow, Coretta Scott King, kept lobbying for it. Musician Stevie Wonder even released a song, “Happy Birthday,” to rally support.

So what changed?

By the 1980s, the social and cultural climate in the United States had changed, and the public was reflecting on racial progress, Martin said. Most Americans now also regretted the Vietnam War. Supporters, meanwhile, still called for federal holiday status.

In 1983, about 20 years after King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, legislation for a Martin Luther King Jr. Day on the third Monday in January passed Congress and President Ronald Reagan signed it.

Reagan’s signature did not prompt other Republicans to follow suit. It would be 17 more years before all 50 states observed it. Most of the foot traffic came from the South – except for Arizona. So in 1987, Governor Evan Mecham rescinded his predecessor’s proclamation of a state holiday in Arizona.

“He said, ‘Black people don’t need a vacation. You all need jobs,'” recalled Dr. Warren H. Stewart Sr., senior pastor at First Institutional Baptist Church in Phoenix. “It started the war.”

Stewart launched a group to lead “people of all colors and persuasions, creeds and parties” in protest marches. Entertainers including Wonder canceled Arizona events. Companies moved conventions. The tipping point was the loss of hosting the Super Bowl. In 1992, Arizona became the first state to reinstate the King holiday by voter initiative.

Supporters took a victory lap the next MLK Day with a packed arena concert featuring Wonder and other artists. Even Rosa Parks was there. Stewart remembers addressing the crowd.

“What I said there — and it still stands today — we’ve won the holiday, but the holiday is a symbol of freedom and justice for all, and we need to move from symbol to substance,” he said.

South Carolina was the last holdout until 2000. But it was without the support of civil rights groups because it also allowed for a Confederate memorial day.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day’s reach has only grown in its 42 years.

It’s the only federal holiday where you take a “day on, not a day off.” In 1994, President Bill Clinton signed Congressman John Lewis and Senator Harris Wofford’s legislation making it a national day of service.

Almost every major city and suburb has some celebration the weekend before, including parades, street festivals and concerts. The various service projects run the whole spectrum – cleaning premises, packing food boxes, donating blood.

AmeriCorps, the federal agency that sends volunteers to serve communities around the country, has awarded $1.5 million in grants to 200 nonprofits, faith-based groups and other organizations for projects. Executive Director Michael Smith estimates there have been hundreds of projects involving hundreds of thousands of people for MLK Day in recent years. Engagement seems to be growing.

“You know, any given day I see another project that has nothing to do with us,” said Smith, who has served in President Joe Biden’s administration. “What’s so important about the King’s Holiday is not just the service that’s going to happen, but how it creates a spark for people to think about how they might want to serve all year round.”

That’s something King’s daughter, the Reverend Bernice King and executive director of the King Center in Atlanta, also wants. She wish people would do more than “quote King, which we love to do.” They have to do good work and commit daily “to embrace the spirit of non-violence.”

Martin also thinks it is important to learn about the man himself. He finds excitement in watching people read or hear about the Nobel Peace Prize winner. But nothing compares to taking King’s own writings, such as his 1963 “Letter from the Birmingham Jail,” he added.

“We can arm ourselves with his ideals,” Martin said. “We can continue to have a conversation with him – not just in one day, but actually throughout the year.”