Martin Luther King Day is a United States holiday that celebrates the life and legacy of the outstanding visionary civil rights movement leader, also the winner of the Nobel peace prize in 1964, Martin Luther King Junior. Martin Luther King Day is celebrated on the third Monday of January in commemoration of the anniversary of MLK’s birthday which is actually on January 15th.
Martin Luther King originates from Montgomery, Alabama in the United States. He moved to Montgomery after his doctorate, during a period when African-American citizens received unfair treatment. There were extremist segregating laws, such as African Americans were to sit at the back of buses and leave the front seats for white Americans. However, a courageous woman named Rosa Parks protested against this unfair treatment of the minority group, which led to a long-standing boycott led by Dr. King and took 381 days. Long after, the boycott succeeded and the segregation laws were overturned. From then on, Rosa Parks has been referred to as the mother of the civil rights movement.
Acknowledging many forms of discrimination that African Americans endured, the civil rights movement continued under the leadership of Martin Luther King. Some of the problems African Americans still encountered included discrimination in schools, lack of equal pay, voting rights, and service in hotels and restaurants. It is the leadership of Martin Luther King, based upon his pacifist beliefs, that drew international attention to the civil rights movement. Dr. King, alongside other ministers, went on to start the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, which was a means to advance the non-violent fight against racism that was prevalent in the south. Many people were against his pacifist ideals in the black community, but he remained steadfast. He was jailed on numerous occasions, but even in jail, he echoed strong sentiments such as “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”.
One of the most notable events in Martin Luther King’s life and the civil rights movement was the march on August 23, 1963. During this march, Dr. King managed to pull a crowd of more than 250 million people to march to Washington’s capitol building where he gave one of the most significant speeches of all time about equality, titled ‘I have a dream.’ A notable attribute of this march was that there was no ensuing violence and for the knack of leading civil and non-violent protests, Martin Luther King Junior received the Nobel peace prize in 1964. The very same year, the Civil Act of 1964 was passed, calling for equal opportunity in employment and education. This was a great win for the movement. Dr. King went on to advocate for many legislative changes, and in 1965, the Voting Rights Act was enforced, giving fair and equal voting rights to the black community. On April 4th, 1968, tragedy struck and Martin Luther King was assassinated while supporting a worker’s strike in Memphis. He died aged 39 years old. His supporters and colleagues from all over the world were extremely saddened. This, however, did not slow down the cause of the movement. Coretta Scott, Dr. King’s widow, founded the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for nonviolent social change.
Throughout the 1980s, there was controversy about making a national holiday in memory of Dr. King. Some members of Congress and Dr. King’s widow pushed for a national day in his honour. However, this idea received a lot of criticism concerning the date of this holiday as many people proposed it should be marked on the date of his assassination while others were against the institutionalization of the holiday entirely. In 1986, President Ronald Reagan declared the third Monday of January an annual federal holiday in memory of Dr. King. The first Martin Luther King Day was celebrated on January 20th, 1986. Martin Luther King Day is the only holiday in the U.S. that honours an African-American. Due to the strong influence that Dr. King’s legacy left, this holiday is celebrated to this day and his teachings are used in sermons and civil rights movements, and his work is detailed in the U.S. curriculum to teach students about racism and other types of discrimination.
The earliest Monday this holiday can be celebrated is January 15th while the latest date is January 21st. Dr. King was the principal spokesperson for nonviolent crusading in the Civil Rights Movement, which fruitfully fought against racial discrimination, and hence, this holiday is observed in many regions in the U.S. Martin Luther King is not only observed in the United States but also in Japan, Canada, and the Netherlands. Although this holiday is a statutory holiday, not all towns and cities dedicate it exclusively to Dr. King, for instance:
Martin Luther King Day consists of cultural resonance, especially among the African-American communities. In regions such as Central America and the African continent, Dr. Martin Luther King is celebrated as a hero. Historically, it is believed that Martin Luther King drew a lot of inspiration from Jamaica, a country he visited in 1965 due to its peaceful nature. During this time, Dr. King was able to write a book titled Where Do We Go from Here. Although Jamaica is famous for its rich heritage, it does not observe the Martin Luther King holiday. However, he is a celebrated African national who inspired black people from all over the world. As such Jamaicans have sung songs about him and he remains etched as a symbol of black national freedom. Other majority black countries also feel just as strongly about Dr. King’s works, and you will most often find he is immortalized in portraits on city streets.
In the U.S., a national Martin Luther King Day of Service was started by Senator Harris Wofford and John Lewis who was the congressman of Atlanta. They co-authored the Service Act, and it challenges Americans to volunteer their services in honour of Martin Luther. This legislation was signed into law by President Bill Clinton on August 23rd, 1994. Due to these efforts, hundreds of volunteer centers emerged, which allowed volunteers to dedicate their time towards making a difference all over the country. Martin Luther King Day celebrates an inspirational man who went to great lengths to support what is right. Here are some of the different reasons and places outside of the U.S. that observe Martin Luther King Day:
Tokyo
In the city of Hiroshima, Martin Luther King Day is celebrated in continuation of the traditions of the former Mayor Tadatoshi Akiba. Akiba would hold an annual banquet at the mayor’s office in commemoration of Martin Luther. Lesser known than Luther, Mayor Akiba was a staunch critic of the use of nuclear weapons such as the ones used in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He said that the use of atomic weapons would turn the world into an inferno that even the mind of Dante could not comprehend.
Japan
Japan celebrates the coming of age of their young people on January 15th, the date of Dr. King’s birthday. The youngsters are taught the importance of non-violent reforms and civil rights movements in America.
Canada
In Canada, the city of Toronto still celebrates Martin Luther King Day, although it is not a paid holiday. During Martin Luther King Day, the people of Toronto observe this holiday by giving speeches and reflecting on the work of Martin Luther King. Canada celebrates this holiday because of its cultural diverse country, particularly in the city of Toronto. In the past, slaves would flee persecution from south of the U.S. and find freedom in Canada.
Since 1987, there is an annual Dr. Martin Luther King Tribute and Dinner which are held in Wassenaar. The tribute consists of the youths and veterans from the Civil Rights Movements, including music. After the Tribute, everyone holds hands in a circle and sings ‘We Shall Overcome’. This day is observed on the last Sunday of January.
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