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Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Martin Luther King Jr. Day Background
In 1979, a public campaign in support of officially recognizing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday as a national holiday was launched. This community-based effort resulted in six million signatures for a petition to Congress. The effort was recognized at the time as “the largest petition in favor of an issue in U.S. history.” In 1984, Congress passed legislation officially declaring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day a national holiday. In 1994, Congress designated the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Federal Holiday as a national day of service.
A Day of Service
Every year, on the third Monday in January, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service is observed as a “day on, not a day off.” The intention of the day is to empower individuals, strengthen communities, bridge barriers, create solutions for social ills, and lead us closer to achieving Dr. King’s vision of a “Beloved Community.”
What is happening in Snohomish County?
Communities of Color Coalition, NAACP Snohomish County, Snohomish County Black Heritage Committee, Snohomish County Community Colleges, City of Everett, and Snohomish County faith, non-profit, youth and community leaders are collaborating to celebrate and honor the vision and teachings of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Snohomish County Executive’s Office is proud to support this effort.
“Celebrating what makes our Community Better” has been selected by key community leaders as the theme for 2020. It is our hope that this theme will encourage organizations and individuals to come together and celebrate the strengths and contributions of our diverse communities countywide.
Objectives
- The partnership leading this effort encourages everyone who lives, works, and plays in Snohomish County to join community events in celebration of Dr. King’s dream and vision. We will update the calendar below on a regular basis with all the events taking place in our county.
- Community-based organizations and groups are welcome to join the effort to break down silos, share resources, and promote events that honor Dr. King’s vision. If you would like to share what your organization is doing, or list your event on this website, please follow this link to provide details: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PFDBTBW
Other Relevant Resources and links
- Washington State University (WSU) – https://mlk.wsu.edu/about-dr-king/ Includes biography, honorary degrees, accomplishments, famous quotes, photos and holiday history.
- PBS.org – https://www.pbs.org/weta/washingtonweek/blog-post/5-martin-luther-king-jr%E2%80%99s-most-memorable-speeches Videos of Rev. Dr. MLK’s most memorable speeches.
- TheAtlantic.com - https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2015/01/remembering-martin-luther-king-jr-in-photos/384635/ Reverend Martin Luther King's public life in photos.
- TheKingCenter.org - https://thekingcenter.org/. Includes biography, bibliography, the King philosophy, glossary of nonviolence etc.
- NobelPrize.org – https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/1964/king/lecture/ Includes biography, facts and Rev. Dr. MLK’s Nobel lecture.
- History.com – Martin Luther King Jr. Includes a detailed biography, quotes, galleries of photos and links to letters, speeches etc.
- NYTimes.com - https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/08/14/magazine/1619-america-slavery.html Includes information about the 1619 Project, a major initiative from The New York Times observing the 400th anniversary of the beginning of American slavery.
- Biography.com – https://www.biography.com/activist/martin-luther-king-jr Includes a detailed biography.