In 1983, about 20 years after King's "I Have a Dream" speech, legislation for a Martin Luther King Jr. Day on the third Monday of January cleared Congress and President Ronald Reagan signed it

Celebrations of his life are already taking place throughout the country – including here on the South Shore – ahead of the holiday in his name that did not become federally observed until 1986, nearly 20 years after his 1968 assassination. Martin Luther King Jr. Day wasn't recognized as an official holiday until 2000.

Martin Luther King Jr. not only symbolizes the fight for African American civil rights but also represents a universal message that transcends ethnicities and nationalities. His legacy connects African American, Afro-Latino, and other marginalized communities in a shared struggle for dignity, equality, and justice.