Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday

The Milam County Courthouse, Cameron city offices and the campuses and offices of Cameron ISD are closed today for the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

The Cameron City Council meeting regularly held on the third Monday of the month has been rescheduled for Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. in City Hall.

Also observing the holiday are financial institutions, state and federal offices, including the U.S. Postal Service.

This year is the 30th annual observance. The bill creating the federal holiday to honor the late civil rights leader was proposed by Representative Katie Hall of Indiana and signed by President Ronald Reagan at the White House Rose Garden on Nov. 2, 1983, President Ronald Reagan. It was observed for the first time on January 20, 1986.

The holiday is observed on the third Monday in January; however, Dr. King was born Jan. 15, 1929 in Atlanta, Ga. As a Baptist minister and activitist, he was a leader in a movement to advance civil rights using nonviolent civil disobedience based on his Christian beliefs. He helped organize and brought national attention to the cause through nonviolent protests in southern states, marches and history-making national events. A nobel Prize winner for his efforts and recognized as an orator, King was 39 years old when he was killed in 1968.