It was first proposed four days after King's 1968 assassination outside a Memphis motel. It took 15 years until it became a federal holiday.

Martin Luther King Jr., a reverend and civil-rights activist, was assassinated at 39. However, he inspired several movements and political changes.

Rev. Dr. Brandon Thomas Crowley urged the Brandeis community to reclaim the true legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. Brandeis students, faculty, staff and others came together in Skyline Commons Friday afternoon to celebrate the life and legacy of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. The event was also livestreamed.