"Dr. King and his wife Coretta Scott King march together along a rural Mississippi road with the March Against Fear in 1963 after the death of James Meredith." Source and Copyright: Flip Schulke Archives/Getty Images

Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was a social activist and Baptist minister who played a key role in the American civil rights movement from the mid-1950s until his assassination in 1968. King sought equality and human rights for African Americans, the economically disadvantaged and all victims of injustice through peaceful protest. He was the driving force behind watershed events such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the 1963 March on Washington, which helped bring about such landmark legislation as the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act. King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 and is remembered each year on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, a U.S. federal holiday since 1986.

MLK Day
After years of campaigning by activists, members of Congress and Coretta Scott King, among others, in 1983 President Ronald Reagan signed a bill creating a U.S. federal holiday in honor of King.  Observed on the third Monday of January, Martin Luther King Day was first celebrated in 1986.  

Source: Historical Facts about Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. from History.com

Baltimore Area MLK, Jr. Events:

The Afro Newspaper Listing

Baltimore Sun Listing

DC Area MLK, Jr. Events:

DC MLK Day of Service Event Listing

MLK Holiday DC: A Life & Legacy Commemoration Site

Jan. 18th WYPR 88.1, On the Record Show: So Much More Than a Parade: Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.