Each year, on the third Monday of January, the U.S. observes Martin Luther King Jr. Day in remembrance of one of the most influential civil rights leaders in its history. Martin Luther King Jr. was a minister and activist who, through his activism and inspirational speeches, played a pivotal role in ending the legal segregation of African-American citizens in the United States, as well as the creation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. King received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. He delivered one of the most well-known speeches in American history, "I Have a Dream," which he delivered in August of 1963 during the March on Washington.
The holiday is observed to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. King and to reflect on the values of courage, truth, justice, compassion, dignity, humility, and service that so radiantly defined his character and empowered his leadership. On this holiday, we commemorate the universal, unconditional love, forgiveness, and nonviolence that empowered his revolutionary spirit. Many Americans will devote the day to service in his honor. Learn more about the observance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
