Reagan’s November 2nd Signature Created Federal Holiday Honoring Dr. King

President Ronald Reagan signs legislation to create a federal holiday honoring Martin Luther King, Jr. in the Rose Garden of the White House on November 2, 1983. (by National Archives) Reagan signs bill as Coretta Scott King looks on.

By Staff Writer | San Diego Monitor News

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Forty-two years ago on November 2, 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed legislation establishing the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as a federal holiday, following a 15-year effort by lawmakers, civil rights leaders, and citizens across the country. This weekend marked the 42 year anniversary of that historic signing.

The campaign to create the holiday began shortly after King’s assassination in 1968, when Representative John Conyers of Michigan introduced the first bill to commemorate the civil rights leader’s birth. The proposal faced repeated defeats in Congress for more than a decade, with opponents citing concerns over the cost of another federal holiday and questions about setting a precedent for honoring a private citizen.

Public support for the holiday grew steadily through the 1970s and early 1980s. Advocacy groups organized marches, rallies, and petition drives nationwide. Musician Stevie Wonder’s 1980 song “Happy Birthday” became associated with the movement, and a petition campaign supporting the holiday collected more than six million signatures.

In 1983, after years of debate, Congress approved the bill with bipartisan support. The House passed the measure in August, and the Senate followed in October by a vote of 78 to 22. President Reagan, who had earlier expressed reservations, signed the bill during a White House ceremony on November 2, 1983. Coretta Scott King, the widow of Dr. King, and several members of Congress attended the signing.

The law designated the third Monday in January as Martin Luther King Jr. Day, beginning in 1986. Over the following years, states gradually adopted the holiday, with all 50 states officially recognizing it by 1999.

Since then, Martin Luther King Jr. Day has been observed annually as a federal holiday honoring King’s contributions to the civil rights movement and his advocacy for nonviolent social change.