Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

“Everybody can be great because everybody can serve”

-Dr. Marin Luther King Jr.

About the Holiday:

Ø Took fifteen years after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s death to make martin Luther King Jr. Day an actual holiday.

Ø On January 20, 1986, the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday was celebrated for the first time.

Ø Schools, post offices, banks and federal offices close every January on the third Monday for the celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Ø The holiday is a time to remember what Martin Luther King Jr. fought for and everything he did to make our country a better place.

Five Ways Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Served:

1) He was a preacher at a Baptist church in his town.

2) He was the president of the Montgomery Improvement Association and got arrested thirty times for his involvement the Civil Rights Movement.

3) From 1957 to 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and he was the founder of it.

4) He was involved in the Montgomery Bus Boycott that lasted for 381 days from 1955 to 1956.

5) He led many movements and marches that inspired all of America to act and get involved just like him.

Ways You Can Serve:

Ø Anybody anywhere can help serve on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Ø You can be big or small and you do not need any special training or knowledge.

Ø Find organizations in you community that need you help and find organizations that you are interested in and that you would like to help.

Ø Get to know your neighbors and people around you that you have not yet gotten a chance to know.

Author: Laura E.

Last Updated: 15 December2005