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  • Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday

Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday

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Find a document in the Arizona State Library catalog that would be a good addition to this topic? Have a suggestion for another Arizona Research Topic? Contact us.

Decade: 
1980s

Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday

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 Day an Arizona holiday in March 18, 1986, but his proclamation was repealed by Governor Mecham in 1987 on the grounds Babbitt did not have the authority to declare such a holiday.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

  1. Why did Governor Babbitt create the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday? Why did Mecham repeal it?
  2. 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?
  3. 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
  • For Teachers
  • Civil Rights or Human Rights Lesson Plan
  • NPS: Martin Luther King Jr. Lesson Plans

Resources

Additional Resources

Ready for more information on this topic? You can find more resources, in addition to the ones listed below, in the State of Arizona Research Library located at the Polly Rosenbaum Archives and History Building, 1901 W. Madison St., Phoenix, AZ 85009. Phone: 602-926-3870 Hours: Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. If the collection has a second copy of a listed book, it may be available via interlibrary loan at your local library. Contact Us

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