In April 1968, just four days after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., Conyers introduced the first of many bills to establish a federal holiday in King’s honour. A bill creating the holiday was finally signed into law by Pres. Ronald Reagan in 1983.

He also sponsored a bill to establish Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a federal holiday, and was the first congressperson to introduce legislation in support of reparations for the descendants of African American slavery.

Jan 20, 2025 · Detroiters like Stevie Wonder and John Conyers were instrumental in making Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday a federal holiday.

Dec 29, 2019 · Days after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was fatally shot on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Conyers proposed a national celebration of his birthday.

Conyers fought for 20 years to establish a national holiday to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., introducing a bill each session of Congress beginning in 1968.

Oct 28, 2019 · Conyers, who died Sunday at the age of 90, entered a 1964 Democratic primary for an open House seat. He needed help. And Rosa Parks knew where to get it. She urged the Rev. Martin Luther...

Oct 27, 2019 · First elected in 1964, Mr. Conyers introduced the first bill to create a federal holiday honoring the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. — an effort that languished for years until President...

Was instrumental in pushing for the establishment of a federal holiday honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., which became law in 1983. Supported universal healthcare and workers' rights, emphasizing policies that benefitted Detroit's labor-heavy constituency.

May 17, 2018 · Just four days after the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in April 1968, Conyers submitted a bill to create a national holiday on the birthday of the slain civil rights leader.

Dec 8, 2019 · Congressman John Conyers, an African American Democrat from Michigan, spearheaded the movement to establish Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Conyers worked in the civil rights movement in the 1960s, was elected to Congress in 1964, and championed the Voting Rights Act of 1965.