Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Colorado Holiday Commission

Our Mission

The mission of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Commission is to celebrate and honor the legacy of Dr. King, Jr. by unifying the people of around his principals and to reflect on the sacrifices and on going struggle for civil and human rights
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THE MAKING OF THE HOLIDAY

On Monday, January 20, 1986, in cities and towns across the country people celebrated the first official Dr. Martin Luther King Day, the only federal holiday commemorating an African-American.

A ceremony, which took place at an old railroad depot in Atlanta Georgia, was especially emotional. Hundreds had gathered to sing and to march.

Many were the same people who, in 1965, had marched for fifty miles between two cities in the state of Alabama to protest segregation and discrimination of black Americans.

All through the 1980's, controversy surrounded the idea of a King Day. Congressional representatives and citizens had petitioned the President to make January 15, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday, a federal holiday. Others wanted to make the holiday on the day he died, while some people did not want to have any holiday at all.

January 15 had been observed as a public holiday for many years in 27 states and Washington, D.C. Finally, in 1986, President Ronald Reagan declared the third Monday in January a federal legal holiday commemorating Dr. Martin Luther King' Jr's birthday.

DENVER & COLORADO'S CELEBRATION

On April 4, 1985 Colorado's Governor Dick Lamm signed the legislation into law making the birth date of Dr. a Colorado holiday.

At this time, Mrs. Webb announced that we would have the first ever Marade a word created by merging the words March &. Parade

Friday, January 17, 1986 we hosted the first Business Social Responsibility Luncheon
Sunday, January 19, Interfaith Services