On January 16, people across the country will honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He was one of the most important leaders in the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. King fought tirelessly to gain equal rights for Black Americans. He led nonviolent marches and gave powerful speeches to bring about change.
Sadly, King was killed in 1968. His death shocked the nation. In the years that followed, people called for a special way to honor the leader. In 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed a bill into law making Martin Luther King Jr. Day a national holiday.
Now many schools and offices in the U.S. are closed on the third Monday in January. But some people will still be working. That’s because MLK Day is the only national holiday that is also an official day of service. Inspired by King’s message, hundreds of thousands of Americans will volunteer to help out in their communities. From organizing clothing drives to collecting food for the hungry, people will celebrate King’s life and legacy.