Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

In 1968, Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in Memphis while there to support sanitation workers striking for higher wages and better working conditions. Five years later, in 1973, Harold Washington, then an Illinois state representative, introduced a bill to make Martin Luther King's birthday a state holiday.

The bill passed the Illinois House and Senate, and Washington collected thousands of signatures on petitions urging Governor Daniel Walker to sign. Walker signed the bill, and in 1973, Illinois became the first state to declare Martin Luther King's birthday a holiday.

When Harold Washington got to Washington, D.C., he continued efforts to recognize King's achievements by declaring his birth a national holiday. In 1981, speaking at a Martin Luther King Day celebration in Chicago, Washington said:

"Here in Illinois we do have our one day to celebrate...yet, incredibly, it is not yet a national holiday. As a state legislator in Springfield I led the fight to make King's birthday a state holiday. In Washington, I have already joined...in sponsoring a bill which will make King's birthday a national holiday, for all Americans to celebrate our black freedom struggles.... We must not let our history be forgotten."

The movement to make King's birthday a national holiday had begun immediately after King's death. Fifteen years later, in 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed the legislation. The first national Martin Luther King Day was observed on January 20, 1986.¹

On January 20, 2025, the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday will mark the 30th anniversary of a National Day of Service. This day was established to honor the life and legacy of Dr. King and to encourage all Americans to volunteer to improve their communities.

Americans celebrated the first official Martin Luther King Day, which is the only federal holiday commemorating an African-American, on Monday, January 20, 1986. In 1994, Congress designated the holiday as a national day of service, marking the third Monday in January every year as the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service - a "Day On, Not a Day Off."

Dr. King advocated for nonviolent resistance to overcome injustice as a means of lifting racial oppression. He created change with organized sit-ins, marches, and peaceful demonstrations that highlighted issues of inequality. Dr. King received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964; he was the youngest person to ever receive this high honor. He followed in the footsteps of his grandfather and father by entering the ministry to become a Baptist minister. On April 4, 1968, at the age of 39, he was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, as he stood on the balcony of his hotel. Dr. King traveled to Memphis, Tennessee, to lead a march in support of striking sanitation workers.

We remember Dr. King as a husband, father, friend, and fierce advocate for the betterment of all people. Honor his memory by organizing, volunteering, and spreading the word. Make it a day ON, not a day OFF.²

¹ Chicago Public Library blog post by Johanna on Jan. 12, 2015. 

² Department of Defense Education Activity website.

More Resources:
thekingcenter.org, kinginstitute.standford.edu

Commemorations 2025

MLK Jr. Day of Service Projects

Monday, Jan. 20, 10:00-11:30am & 2:30-4:00pm
Serve others and enjoy a day off from school with projects that benefit your community. Drop in to the Youth Services Events Room. For all ages.

Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dreamers’ Breakfast

January 20, 10:00am
Holiday Inn Convention Center, Gurnee
Tickets are $50 per person at 

40th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration & Prayer Breakfast

Saturday, Jan. 18, 8:30am
Elgin Community College, Building E
Tickets are $30 per person,

Family Event – Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Monday, Jan. 20, 10:00am – 4:00pm
Chicago History Museum
Featuring music performances and other family-friendly exhibits, for free.