Richmond American University London commemorates Martin Luther King Jr Day
Author: Richmond American University London
Martin Luther King Jr Day will be marked at the University on the first day of the new semester for undergraduates, Monday 16 January 2023, with an invitation for all students to attend a lunchtime gathering. This event will be followed by a screening of Suppressed and Sabotaged: The Fight to Vote, a documentary about Martin Luther King Jr’s work on voting rights in the US.
The day commemorates the life and work of Martin Luther King Jr, a prominent leader in the American civil rights movement. In the United States, where Martin Luther King Jr Day is a national holiday, people are encouraged to use the day to “reflect on the principles of racial equality and non-violent social change” espoused by Dr King. The holiday is typically observed with events such as marches, rallies and speeches by politicians and civil rights leaders.
The campaign for a federal holiday in King’s honour began soon after his assassination in 1968. President Ronald Reagan signed the holiday into law in 1983, and it was first observed three years later. It was officially observed in all 50 US states for the first time in 2000.
