MLK. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a U.S. holiday that celebrates the birth date of one of America’s greatest civil rights leaders. Dr. King’s date of birth is January 15th, but the actual holiday is on the third Monday in January. The holiday recognizes the great achievements Martin Luther King made to American society. His leadership in the campaign to achieve equal rights for black Americans changed America forever. His focus on non-violent protests led to new laws that ended racial discrimination in America. The USA became a more equal society. The holiday is only one of four national holidays in America to commemorate a person. This shows just how important Martin Luther King was – one of the greatest Americans ever.
Dr. King was assassinated in 1968. Just 25 years later, in 1983, then President Ronald Reagan signed this holiday into U.S. law. People first observed the holiday three years later, in 1986. At first, the holiday was not popular with all American states. Some didn’t like the name and so they called it “Civil Rights Day”. However, in the year 2000, all 50 states observed the holiday using its correct name. The musician Stevie Wonder helped the campaign for the holiday. He released a hit single called “Happy Birthday” in 1980. The song made millions of Americans aware of the campaign. Six million people signed a petition for the American Congress to create the holiday. It is still the largest petition in U.S. history in favour of an issue.
http://www.eslholidaylessons.com/01/martin_luther_king_day.html
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was the most important leader of the American civil rights movement. He helped unite a nation with his powerful speeches and use of non-violent protests. His 1963 “I Have a Dream” speech is one of the greatest in human history. King’s efforts to end racial discrimination earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.
King was born in 1929 in Atlanta. His father was a reverend and so King had a religious upbringing. He graduated from college with a degree and a Ph.D. in religious studies. King went to India to visit Gandhi’s family. He was inspired by Mohandas Gandhi's success with non-violent resistance and saw it as a “potent weapon” in America’s struggle for civil rights.
King was instrumental in achieving many successes in ending segregation laws. He led the Montgomery Bus Boycott which ended racial segregation on public buses in Montgomery. He realized that non-violent protest would attract extensive media coverage of the struggle for racial equality. His campaigns soon elevated the Civil Rights Movement to be the most important issue in American politics.
King helped organize the famous March for Jobs and Freedom on Washington in 1963, where he spoke to the nation appealing for racial harmony. His non-violent protests met with success as Congress passed civil rights laws (1964) and voting rights laws (1965). King’s friendship with President John F. Kennedy also helped his cause. King was assassinated on April 4, 1968. Stevie Wonder pays tribute to King with his song "Happy Birthday".
http://www.famouspeoplelessons.com/m/martin_luther_king.mp3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inS9gAgSENE
Artist: Stevie Wonder
Song: Happy Birthday
Album: Hotter Than July (EMI 1980)
Event : Nelson Mandela Day (July 18th 2009)
Venue: Radio City Music Hall, NY
(Also see https://www.youtube.com/user/Mandelad...)
From its release, the Happy Birthday song was campaigning for the establishment of a national holiday in memory of the reverend Martin Luther King Jr.
In 1986, Stevie Wonder's determination paid off when Ronald Reagan introduced into U.S. law the third monday of january as a holiday in his memory.