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President Ronald Reagan signed the law creating Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 1983.
The first time it was officially observed was in 1986 by 27 states and the District of Columbia. South Carolina was the last state to recognize it as a federal holiday in 2000.
Dr. King is deserving of a national holiday. I think we would do well as a nation to take his still unfulfilled goals seriously so all children, all people would be judged by the content of their character instead of the color of their skin.
For me, the difference this Martin Luther King, Junior Day is that I am observing the holiday. In my previous positions and current one, it was seen as a federal holiday but not one observed by my employer. It was looked at like Federal Holidays for President's and Columbus/Indigenous People day.
Since I've worked in a senior community since 2012, shutting down for a day isn't an option when you are a home to people 24/7/365. Employees could observe it by using 8 hours of paid time off in the past but not many find the idea of spending a personal day off in January appealing.
This year, Oakwood changed its policies on holidays, designating eight as days off work for non-caregivers. That means 8 days off while keeping the others to use on my schedule.
This year's bone-chilling cold makes it unlikely we'll attend a ceremony but it is something I'm looking forward to doing in the future.
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