From volunteering in the community to recognizing people upholding the values of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., events are planned throughout the Valley including in Mesa to honor of the man who stood for unity and justice.
Despite a controversial start during its initial inception in Arizona to recognize the federal MLK Day holiday in the state, activities promoting community have since grown in popularity. Many Arizona municipalities celebrate the civil rights leader’s birthday earlier and earlier in January with a plethora of parades, programs, and more.
Born Jan. 15, 1929, King’s birthday is observed as a federal holiday on the third Monday of January each year due to the Uniform Monday Holiday Act of 1968, a U.S. law allowing three-day weekends by moving federal holidays to Mondays to benefit federal workers, according to published reports.
