Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a federal holiday in the United States marking the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. It is observed on the third Monday of January each year. King was the chief spokesperson for nonviolent activism in the Civil Rights Movement, which successfully protested racial discrimination in federal and state law. The campaign for a federal holiday in King’s honor began soon after his assassination in 1968.

King was also a labour union activist and marched with workers during countless strikes. He also advocated and struggled for progressive policies aimed at protecting and empowering working people, including unionization efforts, a guaranteed basic income, opposition to the Vietnam War, progressive taxation, full employment, and economic and social justice.