Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday
Decade:
1980s
Topic:
Politics and Reform
Governor Bruce Babbitt declared Martin Luther King Jr. Day an Arizona holiday in March 18, 1986, but his proclamation was repealed by Governor Mecham in 1987 on the grounds Babbitt did not have the authority to declare such a holiday. Arizonans were for and against repeal of holiday for a variety of reasons, and in 1992, Arizona voters reinstated the holiday.
Read About It
Use the document analysis sheet and the photograph analysis sheet to uncover clues about the people that created the documents.
- Letter from Dr. Warren H. Stewart, Sr. to Governor Mecham, October 26, 1987
- Letter from Rex C. Peterson to Governor Mecham, February 1987
- Letter from Renea Pablo to Governor Mecham, February 9, 1987
- Letter from Laura Loverde to Governor Mecham, February 16, 1987
- Letter from Trichelle James to Governor Mecham, January 9, 1987
- Letter from Steve Frost to Governor Mecham, January 20, 1987
- Letter from Ed Egan to Governor Mecham, February 20, 1987
- Copy of letter from David G. Flanders to Ed Egan, November 13, 1979
- Remarks by Governor Mofford at the MLK Day Rally, Wesley Bolin Plaza, January 21, 1991
Understand It
- Why did Governor Babbitt create the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday? Why did Mecham repeal it?
- For what reasons did Arizonans support or disagree with the adoption of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday? What evidence do they use to support their opinions?
- Do you think we should have a holiday for Martin Luther King Jr.? Why or why not?
Explore More
Visit the websites below to learn more. Based on this new information, have your answers to the questions above changed?
For Students
- Art Hamilton on Establishing Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday
- The King Center Archive: Arizona-Related Documents
For Teachers