New Orleans was one of the 1st cities to observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day
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Martin Luther King Jr. and wife Coretta Scott King pose for a portrait in 1964. Photo: Library of Congress
New Orleans was one of the first major cities to host a Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the U.S., several years before it became a national holiday.
Driving the news: City leaders and civil rights activists unveiled a historic marker earlier this month honoring the milestone and King's widow, Coretta Scott King, who was instrumental in getting support for federal recognition.
- The sign is on the neutral ground at South Claiborne and Jackson avenues.
State of play: The sign describes the effort started in 1968 — four days after King's assassination — by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference to create a federal holiday honoring the slain leader.
- New Orleans first observed the day in 1978, according to information on the sign.
- President Ronald Reagan on Nov. 2, 1983, signed a bill that created the national holiday. Read more about the history.
Schedule: Several events are being held in King's honor.
- City Church of New Orleans hosts a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Service at 10am Sunday.
- A march and commemorative parade starts at 10am Monday at A.L. Davis Park.
- See more events from the city and from the New Orleans chapter of SCLC.
Meanwhile, a life-size statue of King was unveiled this week at the new Louisiana Civil Rights Museum at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.
- The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday. (Ticket info)
More New Orleans connections: New Orleans native Mahalia Jackson was friends with the Kings and sang at many of the leader's events.
- She sang at the 1963 March on Washington and encouraged King to "tell them about the dream," leading him to improvise his most-famous speech.
- Jackson later sang "Precious Lord" at King's funeral. Coretta Scott King returned the honor and spoke at Jackson's funeral in 1972.
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