About Martin Luther King Jr.
MLK Jr. Day is one of the federal holidays that mark Martin Luther King Junior’s birthday in the United States. Each year, it falls on the third Monday of January. He was born on January 15, 1929, a Tuesday. His actual birthday is January 15. Uniform Monday Holiday Act holidays are similar to his actual birthday. January 15 is the earliest Monday for this holiday, and January 21 is the latest.
During the Civil Rights Movement, King served as the spokesperson for nonviolent activism that protested racial discrimination in federal and state laws. Soon after King’s assassination in 1968, a federal holiday was proposed in his honor. The holiday was instituted by Ronald Reagan in 1983, and it was observed for the first time three years later. Some states didn’t observe the holiday initially, combining it with other holidays or giving it alternative names. In 2000, all fifty states formally observed it for the first time.
MLK Day as a holiday was promoted by labor unions in contract negotiations. A bill was introduced in Congress by Republican Edward Brooke (from Massachusetts) and Michigan Congressman John Conyers after King’s death to make King’s birthday a national holiday. The House of Representatives voted on the bill for the first time in 1979. In the end, it fell five votes short of passage.Opponents pointed out that a paid holiday for federal employees would be unnecessary and that honoring a private citizen would contradict long-standing tradition.Only two other figures in U.S. history are honored by national holidays: George Washington and Christopher Columbus.
It was not long afterward that the King Center began to seek support from corporate communities and the general public. Stevie Wonder and the Rally for Peace Press Conference were key to the success of this campaign in 1980, when the musician released the single “Happy Birthday” to popularize the campaign. A 2006 article in The Nation described the petition as “the largest petition in U.S. history” after collecting 6 million signatures.
Many government offices, banks, retail stores, and corporate offices will be closed as well.
Post Office Services
Monday is a Post Office holiday in the USA, so business and private mail will not be delivered, unless it’s Priority Mail Express. UPS and FedEx will also be available, although with customized service for FedEx Express and FedEx Ground Economy.
Retail Stores
As always, major retailers such as Target, Walmart, Costco, Sam’s Club, and most national restaurant chains will be open Monday. Shops and restaurants may vary in their operating hours, so be sure to double-check.
Some retailers may change or reduce their opening hours as a result of the Covid-19 wave and the short workforce. Macy’s, for instance, has reduced its opening hours for the rest of January.
The Financial Sector
MLK Jr. day is a closed day for the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ. The Federal Reserve’s calendar is followed by most banks, too. Banks will have access to ATMs and online banking.
Agencies Of The Government
DMV offices and courthouses in states and countries will be closed on Monday. Libraries in cities and counties will also be closed. Please check local guidelines in advance.
