"January 15th Must be a National Holiday" Button, circa 1980

01

Artifact Overview

Efforts to establish Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday as a national holiday met with initial pushback about cost concerns and the dearth of holidays that honor private citizens. But, with advocacy from the Martin Luther King Center for Social Change (the creators of this button), President Reagan finally signed a bill into law in 1983, creating a federal holiday honoring King.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Button (Information artifact)

Date Made

circa 1980

Creator Notes

Commissioned by the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Social Change. Manufactured by The Button Factory of Atlanta, Georgia.

Location

Not on exhibit to the public.

Object ID

2022.196.1

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

Material

Metal

Color

Gold (Color)
Green
Black (Color)

Dimensions

Height: 0.25 in
Diameter: 3 in

Inscriptions

on front: JANUARY 15th MUST BE A / NATIONAL HOLIDAY / TO COMMEMORATE THE / CONTRIBUTIONS TO MANKIND BY / DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. / (C) MARTIN LUTHER KING CENTER FOR SOCIAL CHANGE on top: THE BUTTON FACTORY on bottom: ATLANTA, GEORGIA 404 457 05[2?]0