“This is not a black holiday; it is a peoples’ holiday. And it is the young people of all races and religions who hold the keys to the fulfillment of his dream.” -- Coretta Scott King
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. -- born Michael King on Jan. 15, 1929 in Atlanta -- was a husband, father, pastor, leader, Nobel Peace Prize winner and so much more. Dr. King is known for his leadership towards racial equality and awareness for poverty and international conflict concerns. Dr. King has many notable works but checking out his speeches titled “Beyond Vietnam” or “The Other America” can add to your knowledge about Dr. King's work.
MLK Day, recognized the third Monday of every January, is the only federal holiday designated by Congress as a national day of service. Not to be mistaken with his actual birthday, MLK Day was signed into law by President Ronald Reagan on Nov. 2, 1983 via Public Law 98-144. This happened after 15 years of persistence and advocating for this observance.
The advocacy towards a federal observation began on April 8, 1968, four days after Dr. King’s assassination, through the late Michigan congressman John Conyers. The first bill failed and Congressman Conyers tried year after year with limited congressional support. In 1983, through the assistance of the Congressional Black Caucus, MLK's widow Coretta Scott King and musician Stevie Wonder, they garnered six million signature petitions in favor of the holiday. Once recognized as a federal holiday, it took several years for all states to observe the holiday; however all 50 states accomplished this during the early 2000s.
Did you know?
President Reagan and Coretta Scott King gave remarks about the holiday upon the bill's signing. Read them in this archive.
Coretta Scott King also created The King Center which is located in Atlanta. Learn more from the center's website.
- The 34th Annual MLK Celebration will take place on Wednesday, Feb. 1
- A new feature, the MLK Day of Service, will take place on Saturday, Feb. 4
In addition, some SUNY Oswego faculty members incorporate or address the work of MLK in their classes. Courses include but are not limited to:
- EDU 301: Dr. Bonita Hampton - "School, Pedagogy and Social Justice"
- ENG 465: Dr. Patricia Clark - "Seminar in Advanced Literature Study: Afrofuturism"
-- Submitted by the James A. Triandiflou ‘88 Institute for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Transformative Practice