by Lukas Shadair

Created on: January 03, 2010

On April 4th, 1968, a hero became a martyr. This hero was Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., leader of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), and a strong advocate for love and kindness, and the abolishment of hate and prejudice. The holiday that celebrates him, however, has been fraught with controversy. In the same year of King’s death, Congressman John Conyers Jr. introduced preliminary legislation attempting to make January 15th—King’s birthday—a federal holiday for rejoicing in the legacy of MLK. The bill was stalled. Some states, such as Illinois, chose to make Martin Luther King Jr. Day a state holiday, but it would be many years later before it would become a federal holiday.

John Conyers Jr., along with Representative Shirley Chisholm of New York, continued an effort to make January 15th a federal holiday every legislative session since 1968. Coretta Scott King, the widow of Martin Luther King, fought for the approval of a national holiday for her husband as well. Even Stevie Wonder joined the fight, and released a song in 1980 called “Happy Birthday” in which he sang, “I just never understood/How a man who died for good/Could not have a day that would/Be set aside for his recognition,” and…“It should be a great event/And the whole day should be spent/In full remembrance/Of those who lived and died for the oneness of/all people.” It is important to understand the vision of Stevie Wonder’s MLK day to not only celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. but all those who believed in and struggled for unity and love.

Wonder and Coretta delivered a petition with 6 million signatures to Congress, and even though the House decisively passed the bill, there was still a very strong opposition in the Senate. This opposition was led by Senators John P. East and Jesse Helms who attempted to expose Martin Luther King Jr. as a possible communist—a tactic utilized by many politicians trying to thwart advocates for change. Because of communist associations and supposed sexual transgressions they believed it would not be fitting to nationally honor King with a federal holiday. Despite this resistance, the bill eventually passed the senate and on November 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed it into law. Beginning on 1986, the holiday was observed on the third Monday of January (the date of the holiday being moved forward due to the proximity of January 15th to Christmas and New Year’s).

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