The notion of memorializing a day to exemplify King was first proposed by labor unions, but it took 15 years before a federal holiday was created. Following the death of Dr. King, two politicians, John Conyers and Edward Brooke, proposed a bill in Congress to make Dr. King's birthday a national holiday. The bill first came to a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1979, but it wasn't until 1983 that President Ronald Reagan officially signed the holiday into law.
Delaware State University will be celebrating its 30th annual Martin Luther King Jr. day on January 18th. Even before Martin Luther King Jr. day was a national holiday, DSU held annual celebrations to honor one of the greatest civil rights activists in history. Thirty years ago, this historically black university recognized that Dr. King had helped to create a brighter future for its students.
In commemoration of this special day I thought I would riffle through the archives and show you some of the past celebrations here at DSU. On the top right Theressa Webster as Miss DSC and Senator Herman Holloway both visit the child development lab on campus in 1978. The photograph to the right shows students posing with signs for a 1985 celebration. Finally, the photograph below depicts Delaware State College's Gospel Choir performing in 1980.
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