Students across District 51 will have Monday, Jan. 20, off of school for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

While many students don’t care much for the holiday and often are just excited for the break, MLK Day is a very important day for American and world history. It’s a day of remembrance for King, who was a very important figure in the civil rights movement.

“It celebrates us moving forward as a country and doing a better job at civil rights,” said GJHS teacher Mark Wilson.

Calls for a national holiday in honor of King began shortly after his assassination in 1968. Many cities and states established King’s Birthday, Jan. 15, as a holiday. However, it wasn’t until 1983 that Congress passed a bill marking the third Monday of January as a national holiday, the day we celebrate today.

There are many things to do in Grand Junction to celebrate King. These events include a trivia night on Jan. 17, a community meal and poster awards on January 18, a religious service on Jan. 19, and a commemorative March on Jan. 20. These events are part of the Tough Minds and Tender Hearts commemoration organized by Black Citizens and Friends.