On the third Monday in January, Martin Luther King Jr Day honors the American clergyman, activist, Civil Rights Movement leader. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.(January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) is best known for his role in advancing civil rights using nonviolent civil disobedience. King has become a national icon in the history of American progressivism. #MartinLutherKingJrDayEducation

A gifted and friendly student, King attended Morehouse College, earning a B.A. in sociology. Combining a passion for racial equality with a rediscovered spirituality, King then attended Crozer Theological Seminary, following in his father’s and grandfather’s footsteps earning a Bachelors of Divinity.Shortly after completing his Ph.D. in theology at Boston University in 1955, a 42-year-old 

Rosa Parks (See Rosa Parks Day observed December 1st) refused to give up her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. The opportunity for the NAACP to bring their civil rights efforts to the forefront was before them, and they chose King to lead the successful city-wide boycott of the Montgomery transit system.Young Civil Rights MovementJust over a year later, King and over 60 other ministers and activists founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Together, they coordinated nonviolent protests and gave the young civil rights movement a voice.HOW TO OBSERVE MARTIN LUTHER KING JR DAYMany schools, businesses, and government offices are closed during Martin Luther King Jr Day. However, schools hold programs or teach curricula engaging students in Civil Rights history and lessons throughout the week. Learn more about the Civil Rights Movement and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Watch one of the documentaries or read one of the books listed below:·        King: A Filmed Record – Montgomery to Memphis.·        The Children’s March·        The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr., edited by Clayborne Carson·        Bearing the Cross: Martin Luther King Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference By David Garrow·        Freedom’s Daughters by Lynne OlsonUse #MartinLutherKingJrDay to post on social media.MARTIN LUTHER KING JR DAY HISTORYWhile President Ronald Reagan signed the observance into law in 1983, Martin Luther King Jr. Day was first observed as a U.S. federal holiday in 1986.