The federal holiday marking the observance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday began in 1986, 18 years after his death in 1968. In an effort to encourage a day of turning community concerns into volunteer action, former Pennsylvania U.S. Senator Harris Wofford and Atlanta Congressman John Lewis, both close colleagues of Dr. King's during the civil rights movement, co-authored the King Holiday and Service Act in 1994. President Clinton signed this legislation into law later that year on August 23. What officially started in 1996 as a project in Philadelphia has grown into a national movement that brings diverse groups of Americans together on the King Holiday to actively celebrate Dr. King's life of promoting social justice and helping others.

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Name:
Greater Philadelphia Martin Luther King Day of Service
Joined:
January 2009
Website:
Greater Philadelphia MLK Day of Service