Martin Luther King, Jr., was a great man who worked for
racial equality in the United States of America. He was born on
January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia. Both his father and grandfather
were ministers. His mother was a schoolteacher who taught him how
to read before he went to school. Young Martin was an excellent
student.
After graduating from college and getting married, Dr. King became
a minister and moved to Alabama. During the 1950's, Dr. King became
active in the movement for civil rights and racial equality. He
participated in the Montgomery, Alabama bus boycott and many other
peaceful demonstrations that protested the unfair treatment of African-Americans.
He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.
 Dr.
King was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is an official federal holiday which
has been celebrated on the third Monday of January since 1986.
It is the first new holiday since 1948, when Memorial Day was created
as a "prayer for peace" day. It is only the third this century,
the other is Veterans Day, created as Armistice Day in 1926 to honor
those who died in World War I. Dr. King is the only American
besides George Washington to have a national holiday designated
for his birthday (those of Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, Robert
E. Lee and others have been celebrated in some states but not nationwide).
Internationally, King is one of the few social leaders of any country
to be honored with a holiday (Mahatma Gandhi's birthday is observed
in India)--such status by a member of a country's racial minority
is almost unheard of. Generally, the honor is reserved for
military or religious figures. Consequently, this holiday
is a powerful tribute to King's philosophy and stature.
When President Reagan signed legislation creating the holiday in
November of 1983, it marked the end of a persistent, highly organized
lobbying effort spanning the nation for 15 years.
Arizona History of the Martin Luther King, Jr.
Holiday
1972 Arizona Senator Cloves Campbell
(brother of MCCCD Governing Board Member) introduced in the 30th
Legislature, "A Resolution providing for an annual statewide day
of observance honoring Dr. Martin Luther King". The resolution
died in the Senate Rules Committee.
1975 Arizona Senator Manuel "Lito" Peña
and others introduced a bill to create a Dr. martin Luther King,
Jr. holiday. The bill passed the Senate but failed in the
House.
1976, 1981, 1982, 1984, & 1985 A bill to
create a Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday was introduced in
the Arizona House of Representatives but failed in committee.
1986 A bill to create a Dr. Martin Luther King,
Jr. holiday and combine the state holidays for Washington and
Lincoln into a Presidents' Day was defeated by a single vote in
the Arizona House of Representatives.
1986 Gov. Bruce Babbitt signed Executive Order
86-5 designating the "third Monday of each January as a holiday
honoring the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. for all employees
... within the purview of the Executive Branch of the State of
Arizona".
1986 Arizona Attorney General's opinion concluded
that "the Governor has no constitutional or statutory authority
to declare a legal holiday ... by closing state offices
and giving state employees a paid day off ...".
1987 Arizona Gov. Evan Mecham signed executive
order rescinding holiday "since authority to declare state holidays
lies with the Legislature and not with the Governor". He
later issued a proclamation declaring "the third Sunday in January,
commencing in 1988 and every year thereafter to be Martin Luther
King, Jr. - Civil Rights Day in the State of Arizona ...".
Several bills to create a Dr. MLK holiday were introduced in the
Arizona Legislature but failed.
1988 In the final hours of the session, proposals
to create a Dr. MLK, Jr. holiday were killed in the Arizona Senate.
1989 A bill to create a Dr. MLK, Jr. holiday
and combine the state holidays for Washington and Lincoln into
a Presidents' Day was passed by the Arizona House but was killed
in the Senate. By this time, 44 states legislated a Dr.
MLK holiday.
1989 The Arizona legislature created a paid
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday and eliminated Columbus Day
as a paid holiday. Signed by Gov. Rose Mofford on May 17,
1990. Tempe architect, Julian Sanders and Italian-American groups
launched a petition drive to force the referral of the MLK/Columbus
Day issue to the ballot.
1990 Arizona voters rejected Proposition 301
which would have established the MLK holiday and made Columbus
Day an unpaid observance. Prop 302 was also defeated which
would have retained Columbus Day and MLK Day as paid holidays.
1992 Voters of Arizona passed Proposition 300
which established a MLK/Civil Rights holiday on the third Monday
of every January.
1993 January 18th, Arizona observed first statewide
King holiday.
Timeline
of MLK Day
Quotes
The
MCCCD EEO/AA Office supports and enforces all nondiscrimination
laws; and ensures that all services, programs, and hiring practices
and procedures are administered without regard to race, color, religion,
national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, disability or
veteran status. Further information regarding MCCCD's Nondiscrimination
Policy may be obtained by visiting MCCCD
Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Office Website.
The EEO/AA Office actively participates
in promoting diversity awareness and cultural competency in all
aspects of employee life within Maricopa. For further information
on diversity initiatives or the Governing Board
Diversity Goal, please visit the websites.
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