Monday 2 November 2015

THROWBACKTHISDAY; U.S. President Ronald Reagan signs a bill creating Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Martin Luther King press conference 01269u edit.jpg
 
On thisday November 2 1983 U.S. President Ronald Reagan signs a bill creating Martin Luther King Day . Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is an American federal holiday marking the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. It is observed on the third Monday of January each year, which is around King's birthday, January 15.
Image result for 1983 – U.S. President Ronald Reagan signs a bill creating Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
 
The holiday is similar to holidays set under the Uniform Monday Holiday Act.  King was the chief spokesman for nonviolent activism in the Civil Rights Movement, which successfully protested racial discrimination in federal and state law. The campaign for a federal holiday in King's honor began soon after his assassination in 1968. PresidentRonald Reagan signed the holiday into law in 1983, and it was first observed three years later. At first, some states resisted observing the holiday as such, giving it alternative names or combining it with other holidays. It was officially observed in all 50 states for the first time in 2000.
 
TBT; makes it 32 years.

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