Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Is Federal Holiday for Valid Reasons

Today, Jan. 16, the official Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in the U.S., is a federal holiday with most banks, the post office, city offices, Texas Tech, and Lubbock schools closed. In the 1960s, the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. preached, marched and made known his stance on equality for the American people no matter what "color" they were.

Critics of King argue that the Federal holiday designation is unfair to others who have contributed to society.Texas Tech assistant professor of History, Karlos Hill, tells Tech's Office of Communication and Marketing argues that "the holiday is much bigger than King. King represents a whole generation of Americans who strived to make this country live up to its creed that 'all men are created equal'". He adds, "It is important that King's birthday remain a federal holiday because it is a necessary symbol of the nation's commitment to racial equality." This past weekend's events in Lubbock will be topped with a gospel performance tonight at Lyon's Chapel Baptist Church, 1704 E. 24th, at 6:30.