Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was granted a commemorative holiday which takes place this year on Monday, Jan. 17. While taking the day off of school is all that most students will do on this day, the history behind this activist’s work is what the day is truly for.

    King was an American minister and civil rights leader throughout the 1950s and 60s. He was eventually assassinated in Memphis, TN. He was 39 at the time. The federal government has convicted James Earl Ray, a white man sentenced to almost one hundred years in prison.

He was standing on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel, then, a bullet was shot through the right side of his head. This assassination turned meany heads in the direction of the civil rights movements he dedicated his life to.

His movements lead to the famous passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This act, “Prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin. [This bill] strengthened the enforcement of voting rights and the desegregation of schools,” according to dol.gov. While this was the most generally known accomplishment of his, it most definitely wasn’t his only one.

King’s first protest is another which lives in fame. Known famously as the Montgomery Bus Boycott. This boycott was held after Black activist Rosa Parks followed Claudette Colvin in refusing to relinquish her seat to a white person. This boycott lasted for over a year, eventually pressuring the Supreme Court to declare that segregated buses were unlawful.

Additionally, King helped pass the Voting Rights Act of 1965 which made discriminatory criteria towards the voting rights of Black people illegal. Preceding this act, many southern states would give literacy tests which were near impossible to pass in order to keep Black citizens from voting. 

King also played a massive role in the passing of the Fair Housing Act of 1968 so sales, rentals and financing would not discriminate based on race.These acts collectively made it illegal to legally discriminate based on color and religion.

King has remained an inspiration to many generations of people around the world. Nobel Peace Prize winners and some of the most famous people to this day are inspired by King’s activism. 

After helping gain recognition to some of the racist practices in the 1960s, King’s message has remained important to Americans in the present day. This day is also used to reflect on the work to be done in the future for generations to come. Acknowledging these parts of past history is important so that America can continue to celebrate this holiday with respect for King.