Seattle Celebrates Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Virtual Collection, MLK_Day
- Description
- Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was the most visible civil rights leaders from 1955 until his assassination on April 4, 1968. The year he was assasinated, the campaign for a federal holiday in King's honor began. King's birthday was observed in cities across the United States starting in 1971. On January 8, 1971, both Washington State Governor Dan Evans and Seattle Mayor Wes Uhlman signed proclamations declaring the City and state would honor him on January 15, 1971. In 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed the holiday into law, and it was first officially celebrated nationally in 1986. At first, some states resisted observing the holiday as such, giving it alternative names or combining it with other holidays. It was officially observed in all 50 states for the first time in 2000.
The Seattle City Council City Operation Committee held a public hearing on September 7, 1984 to discuss Ordinance 111890 (introduced as Council Bill 104430) "declaring Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday a City holiday and amending the Seattle Municipal Code accordingly." The bill passed unanimously and was signed into law by Mayor Charles Royer on September 17, 1984. In 1994, the City started presenting the annual "Pieces of the Dream" Diversity Award Ceremony in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr.
This collection features records documenting Martin Luther King, Jr. Day celebrations the City of Seattle has held over the years.