My family and I will spend this Martin Luther King Jr. Day serving our Atlanta community, thanks to Barack and Michelle Obama‘s call to service:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3e1pQqQ89Y]
r. in 1964
MLK DAY BACKGROUND
Although MLK Day was created on November 2, 1983, when President Ronald Reagan “reluctantly” (according to Wikipedia) signed a bill creating a federal holiday to honor Dr. King (first observed on January 20, 1986 ), I didn’t realize that the holiday was transformed into “Martin Luther King Day of Service” in 1994. As Wikipedia explains:
The national Martin Luther King Day of Service was started by former Pennsylvania U.S. Senator Harris Wofford and Atlanta Congressman John Lewis, who co-authored the King Holiday and Service Act. The federal legislation challenges Americans to transform the King Holiday into a day of citizen action volunteer service in honor of Dr. King. The federal legislation was signed into law by President Bill Clinton on August 23, 1994.
This year, you can visit www.USAservice.org/calltoservice to find service events near you or to even host one yourself!
