Government

Gov. Mapp Issues Official Message For Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

In commemoration of the 2015 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Governor Kenneth Mapp issued a message to residents of the territory recognizing the work of the civil rights leader. In the brief statement, Mapp writes: "By leading and inspiring hundreds of thousands across the nation to protest unjust laws and practices in non-violent assembly, only to be met with government-sanctioned violence, Dr. King was able to appeal directly to the moral conscience of a nation." Many individuals and organizations in recent years have taken action to celebrate the holiday by volunteering and giving back to their communities, calling it a "day on, not a day off." Dr. King was assassinated on April 4, 1968 in Memphis, Tenn., and soon after his death, a campaign began for a national holiday to honor the efforts of the Baptist minister. President Ronald Reagan signed the holiday, the third Monday in January, into law in 1983. It was first celebrated three years later. The full contents of Mapp's m...