Conway High School students and many others all over the United States recently enjoyed a 3 day weekend. This 3 day weekend in January was to remember Martin Luther King. This extra day off started after school on Friday, January 17, and ended Monday night, January 21. MLK day is not celebrated every January 21, only on the third Monday of the January month. Many are confused by this, but just like the Thanksgiving holiday, it doesn’t really have a set date.

This particular holiday is celebrated all over the United States. Most schools and businesses are closed on the 3rd Monday in January. There has been a lot of talk in the past on weather or not Martin Luther King Junior Day should be a Federal Holiday or not, but after years of campaigns by Activists and Congress Members including his wife Coretta Scott King, it was decided in 1983 by the 40th president of the United States of America, Ronald Reagan, that he was going to sign a bill that created a Federal Holiday to honor Martin Luther King Junior himself. The holiday was first ever celebrated in 1986. It took nearly 15 years for this to go into effect. Many gave speeches, and there were monuments made for him that day.

We celebrate this day to remember Martin Luther King’s life, and achievements he made as an Influential American Civil Rights Leader. There are many parades held for his remembrance. He influenced the American Society as a whole during the 1950s and 1960s. He had many strong beliefs one including a nonviolent protest that was dedicated to Rosa Parks. His speeches and tone helped set up the movement itself.

Some americans use the day to sleep in a few extra hours, take selfies with his SnapChat filter, or watch his documentaries, or the parades on the news, etc. No matter how you use the extra day off, remember the real reason for it. He was a big part of the history of The United States of America. Without him speaking up on his thoughts and perspectives of things, Issues as a whole for the United States of America  would probably be set back a lot when it comes to the problems that were going on in the 1950s and the 1960s. The problems might of never been handled. People might have never spoken up for the right thing, or what they believed in. He did a lot for our Country and on Monday January 21, show your respect for not only him, but all of the people who made the United States what it is today.