"Like the freedoms we often take for granted, Martin Luther King Jr. Day was hard-won. The designation of the third Monday in January as an official holiday commemorating the legacy of this momentous civil rights leader came after a 15-year battle waged by activists and grassroots groups who, despite pushback from Congress, refused to back down. They knew that there was something powerful about coming together to reflect on the lessons Dr. King left us,"
"Today, Hyperallergic celebrates Dr. King's outsized contributions as well as the labor and perseverance of those who ensured his remembrance. Writer Nicole L. Schaller revisits Don Miller's 56-by-7-foot mural at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Washington, DC, on the occasion of the work's 40th anniversary, and speaks to local public artists for whom the piece continues to resonate."
Martin Luther King Jr. Day was established after a 15-year campaign by activists and grassroots groups that persisted despite Congressional pushback. Inscribing a dedicated federal holiday created a collective space to remember King's lessons. Don Miller's 56-by-7-foot mural at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library has functioned since 1986 as a visual portal into King's life and legacy and marks its 40th anniversary. Local cultural events include special museum tours, a live sermon reading, and community workshops such as a fabric collage honoring King and Gee’s Bend quilters, which engage public artists and audiences alike.
Read at Hyperallergic
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