Martin Luther King Jr. Day Around Ardmore

Monday, Jan. 21 is Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

For some, the national holiday honoring the prominent civil rights activist is a time to give back and serve the community, be it through removing graffiti or picking up litter in a local park.

For others, it’s an opportunity to educate themselves about King and his life's work. And for others, it’s a time to just kick back and enjoy the prolonged weekend.

Around Lower Merion:

• Find out what's open and what's closed on Monday in Ardmore, Merion and Wynnewood.
• A refuse and recycling holiday collection schedule is in effect for the week in Lower Merion. Find out your trash schedule and recycling schedule.
• Penn Wynne/Overbrook Fire Co. will be collecting items for Cradles to Crayons, starting on MLK Day. Find out more here. 
• Folks will be cleaning up the Cynwyd Heritage Trail from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. More details here.
• Find out where to volunteer in Lower Merion and Narberth throughout the year.
• If you want to venture out of town, take a look at Martin Luther King Day events in Philly, along with a list of museums that will be free (or "pay what you wish") on Monday.

The Holiday's History

Martin Luther King Jr. Day, now a U.S. holiday, took 15 years to create.

Legislation was first proposed by Congressman John Conyers (D-Michigan) four days after King was assassinated in 1968.

The bill was stalled, but Conyers, along with Rep. Shirley Chisholm (D-New York), pushed for the holiday every legislative session until it was finally passed in 1983, following civil rights marches in Washington. 

Then-president Ronald Reagan signed it into law. Yet it was not until 2000 that every U.S. state celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. Day by its name. Before then, states like Utah referred to the holiday more broadly as Human Rights Day. 

Now, the Corporation for National and Community Service has declared it an official U.S. Day of Service.

So, tell us—What does Martin Luther King Jr. Day mean to you? What are you doing to commemorate King’s legacy? Tell us in the comments.