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How Martin Luther King Jr. Day became a federal holiday

By Michael Gryboski, Editor
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Washington DC.
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Washington DC. | The Christian Post/ Nicole Alcindor

The United States will observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, a federal holiday that honors the life and legacy of the prominent slain civil rights movement leader.

A Baptist minister and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, King is known for his advocacy for racial equality, as seen with his organizing major marches and memorable speeches.

The effort to make the third Monday in January, which falls on or roughly around his Jan. 15 birthday, was a multiyear effort that began soon after he was assassinated.

Here are some of the steps that led to the creation of the federal Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, along with some of the resistance to the effort.

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