civil rights history

Black and white photo of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King and Clarence Jones

The Helms Attack on King

By David J. Garrow
March 1, 1984 - A federal holiday honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., finally won congressional and presidential approval, but not without creating a firestorm of arguments and controversy that made those 1983 debates starkly reminiscent of the contentious times of 20 years ago.