On April 4, 1968, one of America’s best known Civil Rights leaders was murdered. Martin Luther King, Jr., was known for his leadership in trying to end segregation without resorting to violence. This idea put him at odds with some of the other African American leaders of his time.
One event for which King was popular was a successful boycott of the Montgomery, Alabama, bus system, which had previously required black riders to sit in the back of the bus or give up their seats for whites when the bus was full. King persuaded other African Americans to refuse to ride the bus until they allowed blacks the same privileges as whites. He also helped lead as many as 300,000 people into Washington, D.C. on August 28, 1963. The marchers wanted to convince congress to pass Civil Rights legislation and to bring national attention to the bill.
Soon after King was assassinated in 1968, followers began campaigning to make his birthday (January 15, 1929) a national holiday. But it was not signed until 1983 (Ronald Reagan) and was not observed until 1986. Even then, some states, especially in the south, combined it with other observances. So it was not until 2000 that all 50 states recognized Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Usually, on the first Monday following January 15.
No comments:
Post a Comment