I Have A Dream: Celebrating Civil Rights
Dr. King at the March on Washington. Photo: npr.org
Dr. Martin Luther King’s Impact
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a civil rights activist who fought for the legal rights of African Americans. Inspired by Mahatma Ghandi’s beliefs and his own Christian religion, Dr. King believed in the power of peaceful assembly to create change. He helped lead the Montgomery Bus Boycott, an attempt to racially integrate the buses of Montgomery, Alabama. His efforts resulted in a U.S. Supreme Court ruling outlawing racial segregation on transportation.
Dr. King also organized demonstrations and rallies including a 1963 march that brought together various civil rights groups in Birmingham, Alabama. This event showcased racialized police brutality in reaction to civil rights activists and stimulated widespread calls for progress. That same year, Dr. King led the March for Jobs and Freedom, often referred to as the March on Washington, which attracted over 250,000 people to the U.S. National Mall. There, he delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech, inspiring many across the nation. In 1964, Dr. King became the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize and Congress passed the Civil Rights Act outlawing racial discrimination. The following year, the Voting Rights Act was passed which prohibited barriers to voting.
About the Holiday
Martin Luther King Jr., Day is a federal holiday celebrated every year on the third Monday in January.
It is a day during which public service is encouraged and intended to commemorate Dr. King’s work as a civil rights activist. The day encourages people to honor his memory and follow in his footsteps by working to give back to the communities around them. This year, it is celebrated on January 15, 2024.
History of the Bill
Stevie Wonder. Photo: Entertainment Weekly
In 1968, a federal bill to create a holiday for Dr. King was introduced to the U.S. House floor by Congressman John Conyers in 1968, four days following King’s assassination.
The bill was not voted on until 1979 but received fewer votes than it needed to pass.
In 1989, as an attempt to generate greater support for the effort, popular musician Stevie Wonder released his rendition of the song, Happy Birthday.
4. Another March on Washington was organized to grow support for the holiday, attracting about 500,000 people.
5. 6 million people also signed a petition in favor of the holiday. Stevie Wonder and Coretta Scott King (wife to Dr. King) passed the petition onto the leader of the House of Representatives. In 1983, the bill passed.
Dr. King and Coretta Scott. Photo: Brittanica
6. When the bill was sent to the Senate for a vote, Senator Jesse Helms from North Carolina, was adamantly opposed to it. He started a filibuster on the Senate floor and and submitted a 400 page file claiming that Dr. King had been a communist. Senator Helms’ claims were met with outrage and strong opposition. The bill went on to pass in the Senate and was signed into law by President Ronald Reagan.
7. A federal holiday for Dr. King was first celebrated 3 years after it was signed into law.
8. The holiday went on to be approved individually by each state to be recognized as a state holiday.
9. The holiday became a national Day of Service in 1994 through the efforts of former civil rights activists, Congressman John Lewis and Senator Harris Wolford.
Vocabulary List:
Civil rights (noun): Rights protected under the U.S. Constitution and through federal law
Mahatma Ghandi (noun): A leader of the movement that led India to freedom from British colonization
Assembly (noun): A group coming together for a shared goal
Racial segregation (noun): Separation of people based on race
Integrate (verb): Combine, opposite of segregate
Police brutality (noun): Unnecessary violence by police officers
Stimulated (verb): Brought about
Recipient (noun): Someone who receives or earns something
Discrimination (noun): Unfair treatment of people based on certain characteristics
Commemorate (verb): To honor or celebrate
Assassination (noun): A murder that is politically motivated
Rendition (noun): A unique or personalized version of something
Adamantly (adverb): Strongly
Filibuster (noun): A tactic to delay votes on legislation in the U.S. Senate by extending debate time
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Phoebe McChesney is a student at Oberlin College in the United States, majoring in Politics. She has interned in the U.S. House of Representatives and served as a Page in the U.S. Senate. Phoebe would love to work in Congress, with a federal agency, or on foreign policy and international relations one day. She is a blogger for her college and is interested in America House Kyiv’s Ukraine-American work.