Remember! Act! Celebrate! A Day On, Not a Day Off
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is celebrated every third Monday in January and Dr. King’s birthday is also celebrated this month on January 15th. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a social activist and Baptist minister who played a key role in the American Civil Rights movement. He led campaigns to end racial segregation and focused his efforts on the vision for a future where all individuals are created equal and are treated with mutual dignity and respect. A bill to establish this observance successfully passed through both houses of Congress in 1983 and President Reagan signed it into law on November 20th of that year. The first Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday was celebrated in 1986 to pay tribute to his life, messages, and achievements. In 1994, President Clinton signed the King Holiday and Service Act, transforming the observance into a day for citizen action and volunteerism. The perennial theme is “Remember! Celebrate! Act! A Day On, Not A Day Off.” Martin Luther King Jr. Day is the only federal holiday designated as a National Day of Service to encourage all Americans to volunteer to improve their communities.