In January we honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He was a minister and a leader who worked so that all people would be treated fairly, by peaceful means.
Key idea
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is the third Monday in January, near his birthday, January 15. It was first kept across the country in 1986.
Why it works
In Dr. King's time, unfair laws in many places kept Black Americans apart from others: in schools, on buses and at lunch counters. Dr. King gave speeches and led marches without fighting. He said people should be judged by who they are inside. Many people agreed, the laws changed, and the country chose a holiday to honor him. Many families spend the day helping others, as a "day of service."
Common mistake
Some children think Dr. King lived long ago, in Lincoln's time, or that he worked alone. He was born in 1929, about a hundred years after Lincoln, and he was one of many, many people who worked together for fair treatment.
For the grown-up: Dr. King was killed in 1968; you can choose when to share that. The law making the holiday was signed in 1983. His story continues in Rosa Parks and Dr. King.