By Meagan Ozuna
You hear “three day weekend” and staying up late and sleeping in comes to mind. But do you ever think about the significance of the actual holiday? For instance, this upcoming three day weekend is dedicated to Martin Luther King Jr. Of course, it’s great to have a day off but do you know the history behind the holiday? Or what it means to other people?
Martin Luther King Day is always celebrated on the third Monday of January. Because his birthday is on the 15th the holiday is under the Uniform Monday Holiday Act to stay within that time frame. A day dedicated to him was requested by many, right after he was assassinated, but it wasn’t until 1983 that President Reagan signed the holiday into law. After becoming a holiday it wasn’t observed for another three years. There was even more resistance of the holiday by some states who gave it either an alternative name or combined it with other holidays. It wasn’t until 2000 that all 50 states officially observed it as a national holiday.
This year will be the 27th anniversary of the MLK march here in San Antonio, which is also the largest march held in the United States. The host of the march is, as always, the “MLK, Jr. Commission,” and the theme will be “Realizing the Dream: Jobs, Justice, and Freedom.” The Commission is expecting at least 100,000 adults and children to come together on Monday. VIA is also helping by giving free bus rides from St. Philip’s College to the march. So if you’re interested in being a part of this, the march begins at 10 a.m. and starts at the MLK Bridge, 3500 Block of MLK Drive and ends at the Pittman-Sullivan Park, 1101 Iowa St.
Next time a national holiday comes around, we’ll be able to understand the significance of it and truly appreciate why we’re able to have a three day weekend.