Martin Luther King Jr Day
2 min read
By: Calia Bennett
Martin Luther King Jr Day is a federal holiday that is celebrated every year on the third Monday of January. While the holiday is recognized by all the states, some refer to it by different names such as “MLK Day” or “Civil Rights Day.”
From the middle of the 1950s until his assassination in 1968, Martin Luther King Jr., a Baptist minister and social activist, was an important figure in the American civil rights movement. King used nonviolent protest to demand human rights and equality for African Americans, the underprivileged, and all other victims of injustice. Sadly, his leadership in the fight for equality led to his assassination on April 4, 1968.
Calls for a national holiday in King’s honor surfaced almost immediately after his passing. Many governments and states declared January 15, his birthday, a holiday starting in 1970. Despite this, not all states celebrated until the year 2000.
While people may not see Martin Luther King Jr Day as big as Christmas or the next big holiday, it is still an important day in history that should be recognized. During an interview with Dante Bolte, a Lenape Tech student from CIT, he said that, “I don’t really celebrate Martin Luther King Jr Day, but I do think it’s something important for people to learn about.” Another student from Construction Trades, Isaiah Lee, said that “From what I know, it’s definitely not celebrated as much as New Years or Christmas is, but I still think it’s a pretty cool day.” Regardless of how someone spends the day, if they celebrate at all, Martin Luther King Jr is an important figure in history and he should be honored and remembered for his courageous work during the civil rights movement.
