"January 15th Must be a National Holiday" Button, circa 1980
THF705561 / "January 15th Must be a National Holiday" Button, circa 1980
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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
Place of Creation
Creator Notes
Commissioned by the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Social Change. Manufactured by The Button Factory of Atlanta, Georgia.
Collection Title
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
Keywords |
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Related Content
Set"How Long?": Revisiting Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and His Legacy
- 19 Artifacts
The life and accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. are often hidden behind the replaying of a few memorable lines from his "I Have a Dream" speech. In fact, Dr. King's real story--from unknown Baptist minister to American civil rights leader to international human rights spokesperson--is deeper, more subtle, and more complex.