Learn American Holidays - Martin Luther King Jr. Day

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