Press Play with Madeleine Brand
The long fight to establish MLK Day, and what it means for today's activists
The push to make Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday a national celebration began almost immediately after Dr. King’s assassination in April 1968. But it wasn’t until 1983 that President Ronald Reagan signed legislation to make it a federal holiday. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day has particular resonance with activists in today’s polarized times.
By Madeleine Brand • • 1 min readThe push to make Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday a national celebration began almost immediately after Dr. King’s assassination in April 1968. But it wasn’t until 1983 that President Ronald Reagan signed legislation to make it a federal holiday. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day has particular resonance with activists in today’s polarized times.
