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Civics 101: Inside the fight to recognize Martin Luther King Jr. Day in New Hampshire

A smiling Martin Luther King, Jr. participates in a meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House, Washington, DC, January 18, 1964.
Yoichi Okamoto
/
LBJ Library
Martin Luther King, Jr. participates in a meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House, Washington, DC, January 18, 1964.

Today, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is publicly revered across the nation as a symbol of civil and human rights worthy of a memorial holiday — but that didn't happen overnight, or without a fight.

While Martin Luther King Jr. Day was recognized as a federal holiday in 1983, it took years before New Hampshire did the same. In fact, it was the last state to declare a state holiday in King's honor — in 1999.

The team at NHPR's Civics 101 podcast brings us this story of that fight to honor King's legacy in New Hampshire.

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