How Martin Luther King Jr. Day Became a National Holiday

Tell us what this holiday means to you and how you will celebrate?

Martin Luther King Jr. Day, now a U.S. holiday, took 15 years to create. Legislation was first proposed by Congressman John Conyers (D-Michigan) four days after King was assassinated in 1968. The bill was stalled, but Conyers, along with Rep. Shirley Chisholm (D-New York), pushed for the holiday every legislative session until it was finally passed in 1983, following civil rights marches in Washington.  Then-president Ronald Reagan signed it into law. Yet it was not until 2000 that every U.S. state celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. Day by its name. Before then, states like Utah referred to the holiday more broadly as Human Rights Day.  Now, the Corporation for National and Community Service has declared it an official U.S. Day of Service. …

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University Circle has Free Events Celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Maltz Museum among participating venues

University Circle is celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day with a variety of free and discounted programs and activities through Jan. 22. In honor of the holiday today, there will be a free shuttle bus between participating institutions. Museums offering free admission today include the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage, 2929 Richmond Rd., Beachwood. The museum will have a special musical performance at 1:30 p.m. called "Unchained: From Slavery to Civil Rights." Other venues offering free admission today include the Western Reserve Historical Society and Cleveland Museum of Natural History. The Children's Museum of Cleveland will have half-price admission. A free shuttle bus will run from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. today with stops at the …

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Freedom Riders to Speak at Fairmount Jan. 13

Temple's history with civil rights movement runs deep