Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (MLK Day) is a U.S. federal holiday on the third Monday of Jan. every year. The holiday honors the civil rights leader, Martin Luther King Jr., who died for standing up for what he believed in.
The holiday is celebrated nationally by the United States every year. People celebrate by doing community service, hosting marches, parades and educational events.
While most students have the day off of school, it is encouraged that people go out and do things in order to have a “Day On, Not a Day Off.” Volunteerism is widely encouraged because it helps build the type of community that MLK fought so hard for.
“To Honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a pivotal leader in the Civil Rights Movement,” says the National Park Service.
The first MLK day was Jan. 20, 1986, It is annually on the third Monday of January to honor MLK Jr. ‘s birthday. The holiday was signed into law on Nov. 2, 1983 by President Reagan.
Some cities and states honored the day as early as the 1970s, but it took until the year 2000 for all 50 states to recognize it as a state holiday.
“A Day On, Not a Day Off” is a slogan often used for the holiday, this is because it is the only federal holiday designated for national service, encouraging volunteering.
The focus of the holiday is to build the beloved community that Dr. King dreamed of working for social equity and Justice.
In 2026, the holiday will be celebrated on Jan. 19, and the students of Aliso Niguel High School will have the day off of school.
Students are recommended and encouraged to go out and do community service, rather than spending the day home alone.
“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character,” said King during his “I have a dream” speech at the March on Washington in 1963.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was the chief spokesperson for nonviolence during the Civil Rights movement. The movement protested racial discrimination in the state law and civil society. The movement led to several legislative reforms in the United States.
The campaign for the holiday in King’s honor began after his assassination in 1968. The initial idea of the holiday was promoted by labor unions, and after the death of MLK, Representative John Conyers from Michigan and Senator Edward Brooke from Massachusetts introduced the bill that made King’s birthday a national holiday.
Originally the bill first fell short of five votes in 1979, this was because opponents argued that a paid holiday for federal employees would be too expensive. It was also against the longstanding tradition where holidays do not honor private citizens. There are only two other figures who have their own national holidays, George Washington (the first United States President) and Christopher Columbus (discovered the United States).
While many opposed the holiday at first, the people fighting for the holiday turned to support from the community and general public, and eventually got the bill passed. U.S. Citizens all over celebrate the holiday to not only honor MLK, but also to remind everyone to try their best to work towards the dream of having overall widespread equality.
