City council issues proclamation observing Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Published on January 13, 2026

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

The St. Louis Park City Council issued a proclamation Jan. 5 observing Martin Luther King Jr. Day Jan. 19.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a pivotal leader in the U.S. civil rights movement, where hundreds of everyday Americans joined the struggle for equality at a time where racial segregation was a legal and daily practice. As a leader, Dr. King was jailed and ultimately assassinated for standing up against racism and discrimination in the United States.

While Dr. King's leadership and legacy have profoundly changed and impacted our nation, it took 15 years of advocacy for him to be recognized with this federal holiday. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s life was dedicated for freedom from anti-blackness, racism and discrimination. This holiday serves as a call to action with his life's work as an example.

To honor Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the City of St. Louis Park invites you to:

Proclamation

The proclamation reads:

Whereas, on August 28, 1963, Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. led more than 200,000 Americans in a March on Washington in pursuit of jobs and freedom for all people. Standing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, he called upon Americans to, “sit down together at the table of brotherhood” and meet our promise of liberty, life and the pursuit of happiness for all; and

Whereas, just as in Dr. King’s time, there are those who now say that change would be too disruptive and that these urgent needs can wait. We must resist complacency and summon new resolve to advance the cause of freedom and opportunity for all, regardless of race; and

Whereas, it was everyday people who joined Dr. King’s call to action and risked their comfort, reputation and lives to protest with sit-ins, boycotts, marches and more all in the name of civil rights for all races; and

Whereas, this nation, our state and our city have benefited from the struggle of Dr. King and those he inspired in the fight for racial justice and worker's rights; and

Whereas, we must strive to achieve not just political equality but also economic justice so that workers can earn a decent living, students can learn safely, the sick can access healthcare, the poor can climb out of poverty, the elderly can age with dignity, and everyone in America can live without discrimination or fear; and

Whereas, it is ever more crucial for each of us to do our part in protecting the rights of others to live free of racial discrimination and violence, in remembrance of the violence that took Dr. King’s life and that of many other civil rights leaders,

Now therefore let it be known that the mayor and city council of the City of St. Louis Park, Minnesota, hereby proclaim January 19, 2026, as Martin Luther King Jr. Day in St. Louis Park, and encourage all people to recommit themselves to Dr. King’s dream by engaging in acts of service to others, their community and our world.

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