How Martin Luther King Day Became a National Holiday

The time is always right to do the right thing. 
~Martin Luther King, Jr.

Legislation for a commemorative holiday honoring Reverend Martin Luther King Jr was first introduced by John Conyers (D - Michigan) 4 days after the reverend was assassinated in 1968. A petition with 6 million signatures was submitted to Congress in support of the proposed holiday. The legislation did not pass.

Rep Conyers and Shirley Chisolm (D- NY) continued to submit the legislation every session for years. Public pressure in the early 80s led to the eventual passage of the holiday legislation, signed into law by Reagan in 1983.  In the law, the date of the holiday was changed from January 15th (King's birthday) to the 3rd Monday in January. The holiday was first officially celebrated in 1986.

There was resistance to the holiday, particularly among the southern states. In 1987 the governor of Arizona rescinded the holiday which led to a boycott of the state, which was eventually successful - in 1992 Arizonans voted to enact the holiday. In 2000 Utah was the last state to recognize the Holiday by the name "Martin Luther King Day" and South Carolina was the final state to make it a paid holiday for state employees.