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Shortly after Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968, Congressman John Conyers Jr. of Michigan introduced the first legislation seeking to make King's birthday a federal holiday. The bill languished in Congress for years, unable to gain enough support until President Jimmy Carter, who was elected in 1976, vowed to support a King holiday.
Reinvigorated by the President's support, King's widow, Coretta, testified before joint hearings of Congress and organized a nationwide lobby to support the bill. She also helped to mobilize governors, mayors and city council members across the nation to make the passage of a King-holiday bill part of their agenda. Singer Stevie Wonder became a prominent proponent and released the song "Happy Birthday" in 1980. It became a rallying cry for the effort.
Public pressure for the holiday mounted during the early 80s and finally in 1983, Congress passed the holiday legislation, which was then signed into law by President Ronald Reagan. The first official holiday was observed on the third Monday of January 1986. At the time, only 27 states and Washington, D.C., honored the holiday. However it gradually gained acceptance until in 2000, South Carolina became the last state to sign a bill recognizing Martin Luther King Jr. Day as an official state holiday.
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Compiled and Contributed by Islandman
Reinvigorated by the President's support, King's widow, Coretta, testified before joint hearings of Congress and organized a nationwide lobby to support the bill. She also helped to mobilize governors, mayors and city council members across the nation to make the passage of a King-holiday bill part of their agenda. Singer Stevie Wonder became a prominent proponent and released the song "Happy Birthday" in 1980. It became a rallying cry for the effort.
Public pressure for the holiday mounted during the early 80s and finally in 1983, Congress passed the holiday legislation, which was then signed into law by President Ronald Reagan. The first official holiday was observed on the third Monday of January 1986. At the time, only 27 states and Washington, D.C., honored the holiday. However it gradually gained acceptance until in 2000, South Carolina became the last state to sign a bill recognizing Martin Luther King Jr. Day as an official state holiday.
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Compiled and Contributed by Islandman
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