Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is on January 18 this year. Even though the date changes, Martin Luther King Jr. Day is celebrated every year on the third Monday of January. The third Monday was chosen because it is closest to his birthday. His real birthday is on January 18. MLK Day is named and celebrated for Martin Luther King, Jr., in remembrance for what he did for our nation. It is a day that even schools celebrate by letting the students take the day off.

Martin Luther King, Jr., was known for creating peace between black and whites and putting an end to racism. He wanted to end the separate schools for blacks and whites, as well as rules that had black people treated unfairly. He created many campaigns such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott, Birmingham campaign, March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, and many others. All these campaigns were always created with civil disobedience, not violence. He is most known for his famous “I Have a Dream” speech that includes the famous sentence, “I have a dream, that all men are created equal.” Martin Luther King, Jr., and his speech are taught in elementary schools to teach kids about why the day is celebrated and what he worked for.

He was born in 1929 and assassinated in 1968 by James Earl Ray five years after his “I Have a Dream” speech. He had four children named Yolanda Denise King (deceased), Dexter Scott King, Bernice Albertine King, and Martin Luther King III. His children sometimes speak to the public about their father and nonviolent philosophies.