National Holiday to Honor the Iconic Civil Rights Leader

Post Offices across the country will be closed on Monday, January 18, 2021 as postal employees pause to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Street delivery on Monday will be limited to guaranteed overnight parcels and there will be no collection of mail.

King, born in 1929, helped organize the 1963 March on Washington, where he delivered his landmark “I Have a Dream” speech. He also helped pave the way for enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

King, who received a Nobel Peace Prize for his work, was assassinated in 1968.

“Martin Luther King Jr. was a pioneer of the American civil rights movement and we honor his legacy. His words and contributions remain a source of inspiration for people around the world,”

The Postal Service released four stamps honoring King and his work:

1. Black Heritage: Martin Luther King Jr. In 1979, a 15-cent stamp — the second in the Black Heritage series — was issued to honor King.

2. I Have a Dream. King’s famous 1963 speech, which called for economic and civil rights and an end to racism, was the subject of a 33-cent Celebrate the Century stamp in 1999.

3. To Form a More Perfect Union. In 2005, the great orator’s quote and portrait were featured on a pane of 10 37-cent stamps that recognized those who fought for civil rights. King was associated with most of the events illustrated, including the Greensboro lunch counter sit-in, the Montgomery bus boycott and the Selma to Montgomery march.

4. March on Washington. This 2013 stamp commemorated the 50th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom — a milestone in the civil rights movement that became the setting of King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.

Full retail and delivery operations will resume on Tuesday, January 19.

source: USPS