Today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, a federal holiday in the United States marking the birthday of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. This holiday is celebrated around the time of his birth date on the third Monday of January.The actual date of birth is January 15th. It is fitting this year that the day precedes Inauguration Day when America will swear in its first African-American president.
Several efforts in the seventies by labor unions and congressional members failed to gather enough support to create a holiday but the King Center in Atlanta in the early eighties turned to the corporate world and and local communities to gather support. A huge petition was signed by six million individuals and sent to Congress, probably the largest petition in favor of an issue ever sent to the United States Congress. They finally passed a bill creating Martin Luther King, Jr. Day which President Ronald Reagan signed into law in a Rose Garden ceremony on November 2, 1983. The first official observance was on January 20, 1986. Not all the states recognized the holiday on the state level but 2006 was the first year when all 50 states finally recognized the day.
fitting - qui convient
to swear in - faire prêter serment à
to gather - rassembler
bill - proposition de loi, projet de loi
The official US Government Martin Luther King Jr. Day page: http://www.mlkday.gov/
Martin Luther King I have a dream (sous-titres français)
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