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One of America's Greatest National Monuments

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"The March" Digital Experience: Virtual Reality Exhibit Brings Martin Luther King Jr.’s ‘I Have a Dream’ Speech to Life

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"The March" Digital Experience: Virtual Reality Exhibit Brings Martin Luther King Jr.’s ‘I Have a Dream’ Speech to Life

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Witness Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech firsthand with The March from TIME and March Through Time, our partnership with Fortnite.

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Martin Luther King Speaks! Address at the Selma to Montgomery March. March 25, 1965

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MLK Research & Education Institute at Stanford University

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MLK Research & Education Institute at Stanford University

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The Martin Luther King, Jr., Research and Education Institute

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Skip to content Skip to navigation

Welcome to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research & Education Institute

We are always excited to hear from students engaged in historical research about Dr. King. Unfortunately, we do not have the capacity to respond to all the research requests we receive. Our website offers some of the best primary and secondary sources available and we hope you enjoy the process of discovering new information and ideas about the past and present. For suggested starting resources, click on the link above.

The Encyclopedia, based on the extensive historical research originally conducted for The Papers, has over 280 articles on civil rights movement figures, events, and organizations.

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The Martin Luther King, Jr., Research and Education Institute

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Skip to content Skip to navigation Welcome to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research & Education Institute We are always excited to hear from students engaged in historical research about Dr. King. Unfortunately, we do not have the capacity to respond to all the research requests we receive.

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National Museum of African American History and Culture

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On November 2, 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed the King Holiday Bill into law, designating the third Monday in January a federal holiday in observance of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The legislation to recognize Martin Luther King Jr. Day was first introduced just four days after his assassination on April 4, 1968. Still, it would take 15 years of persistence by civil rights activists for the holiday to be approved by the federal government and an additional 17 years for it to be recognized in all 50 states. Today, it is the only federal holiday designated as a national day of service to encourage all Americans to volunteer and improve their communities.

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture

Despite the national fervor inspired by King's death, the bill to create a holiday in his honor languished for years with limited congressional support. However, Democratic Michigan Congressman, John Conyers, who first proposed the bill on April 8, 1968, was not deterred. He continued to reintroduce the legislation every year with the support of the Congressional Black Caucus, which Conyers helped found.

To me, [King] is the outstanding international leader of the 20th century without ever holding office. What he did - I doubt anyone else could have done. Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) January 18, 2015

In 1979, on the 50th anniversary of King's birth, the bill finally came to a vote in the House. However, even with a petition of 300,000 signatures in support, the backing of President Jimmy Carter, and testimonials from King's widow, Coretta Scott King, the bill still was rejected by five votes in the House. Republican Missouri Congressman Gene Taylor led the opposition, which cited the costs of an additional federal holiday and traditions which exclude private citizens from receiving recognition with public holidays named in their honor.

Even though it failed to pass in the House, public support for the bill continued to grow, in no small part due to musician Stevie Wonder. The Motown singer and songwriter's 1980 album "Hotter Than July" featured the song "Happy Birthday," which served as an ode to King's vision and a rallying cry for recognition of his achievements with a national holiday.

I just never understood / How a man who died for good / Could not have a day that would / Be set aside for his recognition ... in peace, our hearts will sing / Thanks to Martin Luther King Stevie Wonder "Happy Birthday" Hotter than July (1980)

Wonder continued to spread his message with regular appearances alongside Coretta Scott King at rallies. He also capped a four-month tour with a benefit concert on the National Mall, where King delivered his famous "I have a Dream" speech 18 years earlier.

When the bill again made it to the house floor in 1983, fifteen years after King's murder, support was overwhelming. Working together, Coretta Scott King, the Congressional Black Caucus, and Stevie Wonder amassed a six million signature petition in favor of the holiday. The bill easily passed in the House with a vote of 338 to 90. However, when the bill moved onto the Senate, Republican North Carolina Senator, Jesse Helms attempted to dismiss the legislation by submitting documents alleging that the civil rights leader harbored ties to the communist party. Outraged by the personal attack on King's character, Democratic New York Congressman Daniel Patrick Moynihan threw the more than 300 page binder to the ground and stomped on what he described as a "packet of filth." After two days of debate, the bill passed in the Senate and President Ronald Regan reluctantly agreed to sign it into law.

I would have preferred a non-holiday in King's honor but since they seem bent on making it a national holiday, I believe the symbolism of that day is important enough that I will sign that legislation when it reaches my desk.
President Ronald Regan

Despite the holiday's federal recognition, statewide observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day is far from uniform. Some states include additional holidays, which are celebrated concurrently with Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Arizona and New Hampshire, for example, celebrate "Civil Rights Day" and Wyoming celebrates "Wyoming Equality Day." Other states, like Alabama and Mississippi, have combined the King holiday with "Robert E. Lee Day" to honor the birthday of Confederate General Robert E. Lee, who was born on January 19. However, Martin Luther King Day has been recognized in all 50 states since early 2000.

On August 23, 1994, the King Holiday and Service Act was signed into law by President Bill Clinton. Inspired by King's life of service, Congressman John Lewis and former Senator Harris Wofford proposed the legislation to encourage Americans to find common causes and methods of improving their communities. In honor of Congressman Lewis' initiative to make the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday "a day on, not a day off" the National Museum of African American History and Culture has organized donation drives to those in need and partnered with corporations to provide music, film screenings and interactive activities to the public. If you are interested in giving back to your community this year, we encourage you to explore our website for volunteer opportunities or participate in the transcription of the Freedmen's Bureau papers.

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The 15 Year Battle for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

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Despite the national fervor inspired by his death it took 15 years of persistence by civil rights activists a holiday created in remembrance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to be approved by the federal government and an additional 17 years for it to be recognized in all 50 states.

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Smithsonian Institute: Martin Luther King Jr. 

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Smithsonian Institute: Martin Luther King Jr. 

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We shall overcome because the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice.
-Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., "Remaining Awake Through a Great Revolution." Speech given at the National Cathedral, March 31, 1968.

Under Dr. King's leadership, nonviolent protest became the defining feature of the modern civil rights movement in America. King first demonstrated the efficacy of passive resistance in 1955-56 while helping to lead the prolonged bus boycott in Montgomery, Alabama, that succeeded in dismantling bus segregation laws. King's words were as powerful as his deeds, and his moving and eloquent addresses, which gave hope to millions, continue to inspire people throughout the world.

Explore related items in the collections. Learn five surprising facts about King from our National Museum of African American History and Culture. Listen to the Smithsonian's Sidedoor podcast epsisode about King's "I Have a Dream" speech at the 1963 March on Washington.

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Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. | Smithsonian Institution

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We shall overcome because the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice.-Dr.... Learn more

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Civically Engage with Your Elected Officials

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Civically Engage with Your Elected Officials

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Find and contact elected officials | USAGov

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Use USAGov's Contact Your Elected Officials tool to get contact information for your members of Congress, the president, and state and local officials.

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Coretta Scott King: #DearCoretta Timeline

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Coretta Scott King: #DearCoretta Timeline

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Learn more at https://timeline.thekingcenter.org/

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The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change

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Is your voter registration up-to-date? Even if you voted before, from time to time, states and local election offices purge their voter registration lists. They delete people who have moved or who haven't voted in a long time. And sometimes there's just an error.

That's why it's a good idea to check your registration now to make sure you can vote on Election Day.

Start by finding your local election office at usa.gov/election-office. You may be able to check your registration

Online
By phone
By mail or
In-person

When you're reviewing your voter registration, here's what to look for:

Your name is correct and still on the voter list
Your address and party affiliation are up-to-date and
You're going to the correct polling place

If you can't find your name on the voter list or your information is wrong, contact your election office right away to correct the error.

Did you recently move or change your name? Depending on where you live, you'll need to update your registration or re-register. Ask your election office. Sometimes just moving a few blocks away can actually change your polling place.

And check your registration if you have not voted in the past couple of elections or you didn't mail back a postcard from your election office. They might consider you inactive and purge your name from the voter registration list.
Don't wait until Election Day to discover you can't vote. Check your registration now. And learn more about voting at USA.gov/voting.

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Confirm You're Registered to Vote | USAGov

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Is your voter registration up-to-date? Even if you voted before, from time to time, states and local election offices purge their voter registration lists. They delete people who have moved or who haven't voted in a long time. And sometimes there's just an error.

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LibGuides: Martin Luther King, Jr. Resources: Books by MLK, Jr.

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This guide is divided into 10 different categories. Each is designed to give the researcher ideas on how to track down material relating to King's legacy. In the first category a rare video clip from a 1967 interview with King on the civil rights movement

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Netflix's Rustin: Orchestrating the 1963 March on Washington

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Netflix's Rustin: Orchestrating the 1963 March on Washington

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Activist Bayard Rustin faces racism and homophobia as he helps change the course of Civil Rights history by orchestrating the 1963 March on Washington. Watch trailers & learn more.

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The King Center: NonViolence 356 & The King Philosophy

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The King Center: NonViolence 356 & The King Philosophy

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In keeping with Dr. King's teachings, The King Center embraces the conviction that the Beloved Community can be achieved through an unshakable commitment to nonviolence. We urge you to study Dr. King's six principles and six steps of nonviolence, and make them a way life in your personal relationships, as well as a method for resolving social, economic and political conflicts, reconciling adversaries and advancing social change in your community, nation and world.

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Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Movies, Television Shows, and Plays

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In honor of Dr. King, here are the most memorable Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. movies and portrayals in media.