Every year, the third Monday of January is usually set aside to mark Martin Luther King’s Day. This day primarily serves to remind the world about the need for more work to be done toward enforcing racial equality across different parts of the world. For the year 2023, Martin Luther King’s Day is on January 16. It’s worth noting that this day is more than just another holiday, but a time to take action and reflect on different civil rights issues globally.
As earlier stated, Martin Luther King’s Day takes place on the third Monday of January, and for the coming year, it falls on January 16. It’s worth mentioning that Martin Luther King Jr is best known for his work toward ensuring an end to racial discrimination. His achievements and general are celebrated today.
Are you wondering how Martin Luther King’s Day came to being? Continue reading to find out more about the history of this special day.
Before anything else, it’s worth mentioning that the concept of Martin Luther King’s Day to be a public holiday was brought forward by labor unions. Following the death of Martin Luther King, the U.S. Senator Edward Brooke and the U.S. Representative John Conyers brought forward a bill to the Congress.
This bill was to make Martin Luther King’s birthday a public holiday. The first vote of the bill was in 1979, and this was done in the U.S. House of Representatives. However, it didn’t win the vote, with only five votes short of the bill to be passed.
The main argument put forward was that a paid holiday for a private citizen would go again the conventional tradition. It was also stated that King never held any public office, and the only two public figures with national holidays were Christopher Columbus and George Washington.
After a while, the King Center started to seek for support from the general public and the community as a while. Steve Wonder in 1980 released a single titled Happy Birthday, which further made the campaign gain more popularity. People started to rally for Peace Press Conference in 1981. More than six million signatures were signed, and this was all for a petition for Congress to sit and pass the law. To date, this is considered as one of the largest petitions in United States history.
Initially, President Reagan opposed the holiday, and this was mainly because of cost concerns. However, in 1983, he eventually signed a bill to create a federal holiday in honor of Martin Luther King. The bill eventually passed, and this was by a count of 78 to 22 for the Senate and 338 to 90 for the House of Representatives.
The first time the Martin Luther King’s Day was observed was on January 20, 1986. Today, it is now being observed on the third Monday of January instead of the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. This is because it is in line with the guidelines stated in the Uniform Monday Holiday Act.
Timeline of Martin Luther King’s Day
Here’s an overview of the timeline of the Martin Luther King’s Day:
January 15, 1929, marks the birth of a king. Martin Luther King was born on this day in Atlanta.
He gave his first national address on May 17, 1957, and this was at the Prayer Pilgrimage for Freedom at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington
On August 28, 1963, he gave his famous “I have a dream” speech and was also at the Lincoln Memorial. On that day, over 200,000 people participated in the March on Washington for Freedom and Jobs.
On December 10, 1964, he won the Nobel Peace Prize
He was shot and killed on April 4, 1968, and this was at the balcony of the Lorraine Motel
In 1980, Stevie Wonder released a song titled Happy Birthday. The song celebrates King and also expresses displeasure in the fact that anyone would oppose the idea of having a holiday to honor him.
In 1986, the first Martin Luther King’s Day was observed
In 2000, the day was observed for the first time in all 50 states
Martin Luther King’s Day Globally
Martin Luther King’s Day is not only celebrated in the United States alone but in many other parts of the world. Today, it is one of the widely celebrated global holidays among activists and political leaders in different regions. Here’s an overview of some other popular holidays that people observe globally:
Nelson Mandela Day in South Africa and this is celebrated on July 18 to honor the former president of the country
Gandhi Day in India, which is celebrated on October 2 to celebrate the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi
Obama Day, which is celebrated on November 4 in Kenya, to celebrate the declaration of Barack Obama as the president of the United States in 2008.
Martin Luther King’s Day Traditions
The contributions of Martin Luther King’s Day for racial justice for black Americans cannot be overemphasized. This day has been a revolutionary one, and on the day, offices and schools are closed, and everyone participates in honoring and remembering everything that the King achieved during his lifetime.
His place in the United States’ history will forever stand solid. Today, there are many documentaries and movies based on his life. In addition, there are also organizations and businesses that are run or and by the Black community.
Importance of Martin Luther King’s Day
Here are some of the importance of this special day:
Martin Luther King Worked for the Advancement of Civil Rights
The time, leadership, energy, and word of King were mostly aimed at civil rights. He played a major role in bringing an end to segregation which was very common in the United States. His work also helped put an end to a series of unfair practices in the nation, most of which affected the Black community. King organized multiple rallies, and he gave different speeches with the motive of ending racial injustice.
He Inspires US
Martin Luther King is a major source of inspiration for many people, and this is both during his lifetime, and he remains an inspiration for many today. In different parts of the world, many political leaders and activists look to King for courage and inspiration. Today, there are many modern movements for racial justice and equality that are practical extensions of King’s work.
He Promoted Civil Disobedience
The manner of protest, tactics and approach he used was mostly that of civil disobedience, and this included marches, sit-ins, and a complete disregard for an unjust law. Today, many people widely follow the example he laid during protests, and people in different parts of the world adopt this strategy of global disobedience.
How to Observe Martin Luther King’s Day
Are you wondering how you can celebrate Martin Luther King’s Day in the year 2023? Here are some common ways to do this:
Learn About Martin Luther King’s History and Narrative
The first thing you want to do is to learn more about his history and narrative. We have already highlighted some of the things you should know, but there’s a lot more to know about his history and narrative. With that said, you can set out time to learn more about him on Martin Luther King’s Day. You can read his works in journals, novels, and other resources.
Support Racial Justice and the Black Community
The day shouldn’t end up being just another day off work for you. It should be a time for you to support and understand the importance of civil rights and some of the issues that communities of color currently face. King and his contemporaries put in so much effort to ensure that civil rights advance, and today, there’s still so much that needs to be done.
Have a Conversation
Another way that you can celebrate the Martin Luther King’s Day is by participating in discussions and dialogues with people, and this should be centered around racial injustice. The purpose of these conversations is mainly to educate people about the importance of Martin Luther King’s Day. It also creates an opportunity for people to share their experiences. All of these are vital for creating a better future.
Create Awareness on Social Platforms
Another way to celebrate the Martin Luther King’s Day is by using your social media platforms to create awareness. However, for this, you’ll need BLM vectors and Black Live Matters illustrations. With these vectors and illustrations, you can easily increase the engagement on different educational resources that are centered around teaching about Martin Luther King.
A Brief Overview of Black Live Matters Movement
As mentioned above, you can use BLM vectors or Black Lives Matter illustrations to celebrate the MLK Day. With that said, you might start to wonder what BLM or black live matter represents. Three black female organizers in 2013 created a Black-centered pollical will and movement-building project. The three women were Opal Tometi, Patrisse Cullors, and Alicia Garza, and they named the project Black Lives Matter.
Black Lives Matter started as a social media hashtag that was used across different social platforms, and this was after George Zimmerman was acquitted in the shooting of Trayvon Martin in 2012. The movement became nationally popular in 2014 following the deaths of Eric Garner in New York and Michael Brown in Missouri. Ever since that time, there have been a global movement, which further increased following the death of George Floyd in the hands of police in Minneapolis.
In recent times, the Black Lives Matter has increased global demonstrations against systematic racism, including police brutality, that mostly affected the Black community.
The Black Lives Matter website highlights that it was founded in 2013, and this was following the acquittal of the murderer of Trayvon Martin. Also, Black Lives Matter Foundation, Inc is a global body located in Canada, the U.K., and the U.S., with the mission of eradicating white supremacy, and building local power to fight against the injustices that the black community faces by the day.
Download Free Black Lives Matter Illustration and BLM Vectors on illustAC
With everything above, it’s time to get ready for Martin Luther King’s Day 2023. For this, you need a reliable place where you can get all the Black Lives Matter illustrations and BLM photos to use. On illustAC, you can find different BLM vectors and Black Lives Matter illustrations that you can use in different ways.
Some of the common ways to use these illustrations and vectors include on social media platforms, cards, postcards, flyers, and in marketing campaigns. The goal is to create awareness about the significance of Martin Luther King’s Day and encourage people to participate in celebrating this significant day.
Conclusion
We have highlighted all the key things to know about Martin Luther King’s Day and the significance of the Black Lives Matter movement to inspire you. As mentioned earlier, the day is on the third Monday in January, and for the year 2023, it’s going to be on January 16.
We have also highlighted the different ways you can celebrate the MLK Day, and among these includes the use of BLM vectors and Black Lives Matter illustrations to create awareness via different platforms so that people can appreciate the significance of the celebration. As mentioned earlier, it’s more than just another holiday, but a day that promotes racial equality.
