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0000017a-15d9-d736-a57f-17ff8ca00001NHPR began broadcasting in 1981, and in the intervening years has documented the the stories of New Hampshire. From policy makers in Concord, to residents around the state affected by those policies; from notable Granite Staters, to our ordinary neighbors with a good story, NHPR has produced compelling radio for New Hampshire, by New Hampshire. These stories are the components of the NHPR archives, and on this blog we'll dust off some old stories that are newly relevant, and even find some that were never broadcast. We hope to demonstrate how we've changed as a state by charting our narrative on a longer scale.

From The Archive: MLK Day Finally Becomes A Holiday In N.H.

Minnesota Historical Society

On a Monday morning the weather more closely resembled Martin Luther King Jr’s hometown of Atlanta, than it did downtown Concord. But the heat and humidity didn’t discourage those who had gathered at the statehouse for the historic bill signing.

NHPR's Michael Brindleydocumented the twenty-year story that resulted in this event. Gov. Jeanne Shaheen hosted the ceremony on 7 June, 1999, which included brief remarks from bill sponsors, renditions of “We Shall Overcome” and featured speaker Martin Luther King III. She then signed into law the bill recognizing MLK Day as a state holiday, making NH the last state to do so.

NHPR assigned a reporter (unidentified) to attend the ceremony, record the proceedings and speak with the participants. I recently came across the recording and assembled this audio postcard of the day. Voices featured: Gov. Shaheen, Sen. Beverly Hollingworth, Arnie Alpert and Martin Luther King III.

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