hi everyone I'm Alisha Martin Luther King jr. Day is held on the third Monday
in January every year in the United States this holiday is dedicated to the
slain civil rights leader who advocated nonviolent action as a way to reform
discriminatory laws in the United States
Martin Luther King jr. Day was not accepted by all 50 states right away it
was signed into law in 1983 do you know when all 50 states adopted it will show
you the answer at the end of this video Martin Luther King jr. Day is a
federally recognized holiday but there are celebrations in some cities and not
in others Martin Luther King jr. Day is tied to
the civil rights struggles of the 20th century and beyond it's very much
associated with the struggles of the african-american community in particular
but it's also celebrated by most people in the US as a unifying holiday
celebrating Martin Luther King Junior's legacy is a complex endeavor for most
people what he fought for and how he fought for it are equally important King
advocated for the rights of African Americans and other groups who were
discriminated against via racist laws he also advocated nonviolence in the images
of riot police beating unarmed nonviolent civil rights protesters in
the 1960s are largely credited with swaying public opinion teaching African
American history is a major component of many Martin Luther King jr. Day
celebrations in fact many of these celebrations and events try to inform
people about other civil rights leaders who were instrumental in reforming
exclusionary laws in the US
Martin Luther King jr. Day is also celebrated in Hiroshima Japan where it
is nearly as significant as it is in the u.s. the City of Toronto and Canada also
holds festivities in honor of Martin Luther King jr. and now here's the
answer to the quiz do you know when all 50 states adopted Martin Luther King jr.
Day Martin Luther King jr. Day was not officially recognized by every state
until 2000 though President Reagan signed it into law in 1983 many states
resisted the holiday or tried to term it something else such as human rights day
in Utah how is this lesson did you learn something interesting
are there any holidays that celebrate a famous historical figure in your country
please leave a comment in English class 101.com until next time
you