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
