Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a United States federal holiday marking the birthday of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It is observed on the third Monday of January each year, around the time of King's birthday, Jan. 15.
This year, the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service will be recognized on Jan. 20, 2014. King was the chief spokesman for nonviolent activism in the civil rights movement, which successfully protested racial discrimination in federal and state law. He was assassinated on April 4, 1968 in Memphis, Tenn.
Huntsville Center will partner with Team Redstone to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday on Jan. 22 at 10 a.m. at Bob Jones Auditorium, Redstone Arsenal, Ala.
The Army Material command is serving as host for this Team Redstone event.
The guest speaker is Dr. Oscar L. Montgomery, Sr.,pastor of the Union Hill Primitive Baptist Church in Huntsville, Ala. The Aeolians of Oakwood University will give a musical performance.
There are also essay and display contests. The theme for the MLK Day of Service is: "Remember! Celebrate! Act: A Day on Not a Day Off," focuses on volunteerism and community service.
President Ronald Reagan signed the King Holiday Bill into law on Nov. 2, 1983, making the third Monday in January a legal federal holiday to honor King and his legacy.
President Bill Clinton signed the Martin Luther King Jr. Federal Holiday and Service Act August 23, 1994, expanding the mission of the holiday as a day of community service, interracial cooperation and youth anti-violence initiatives.
Transportation is available. Huntsville Center employees may contact Angela Morton, Equal Employment Opportunity Office at 256-895-1573 for information.