From the desk of the County Manager for January 16, 2026
From the desk of the County Manager,
On Monday, we will celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Most of Durham County Government’s offices will be closed in observance of the federal holiday. This is the 40th anniversary of the holiday being officially observed in 1986, two-plus years after President Ronald Regan signed the King Holiday Bill into law on November 2, 1983, designating the third Monday in January as MLK Day.
The journey of its approval was lengthy and a shining example of perseverance.
Reagan’s signing took place following a 15-year campaign of advocacy for the holiday after Dr. King’s 1968 assassination in Memphis, Tennessee. King Day rituals began in Atlanta, and Michigan Congressman John Conyers first proposed a bill to make it a national holiday on April 8, 1968. He would reintroduce legislation each year until finally, in 1979, on the 50th anniversary of Dr. King’s birth, the bill came up for a vote in the House, where it was defeated by five votes.
Advocacy and support would continue to grow in the early 1980s, including the song “Happy Birthday” by Stevie Wonder in 1980. A song called “an ode to King’s vision and a rallying cry for recognition of his achievements” by the Smithsonian Institute.
Finally, in 1983 the bill passed the House and Senate before it was signed by Reagan.
Many see the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday as a day of service. And President Bill Clinton signed the King Holiday and Service Act in 1994 – led by Congressman John Lewis and former Senator Harris Wofford – to encourage Americans to find common causes and methods to improve their communities. Lewis hoped to make MLK Day “a day on, not a day off” where we all give back to the community.
The opportunities for a day of service and of reflection are plentiful in our community.
The Durham Community Martin Luther King Jr. Steering Committee, Inc., hosts its annual March and Rally on Jan. 19, asking participants to gather at 10:30 a.m. at the NC Mutual Tower (411 W. Chapel Hill Street) for the march to First Presbyterian Church at 305 E. Main Street, where a rally will then be held at 12 p.m.
The organization will also host its annual religious service at 6 p.m. on MLK Day at Orange Grove Missionary Baptist Church (505 East End Avenue).
The Triangle Martin Luther King Jr. Committee hosts its annual events. They began this morning with the 46th annual wreath laying ceremony at the MLK Memorial Gardens in Raleigh.
On Saturday, Jan. 17, the W. K. Kellogg Foundation’s National Day of Racial Healing Community Dialogue takes place at 8:30 a.m. at St. Joseph’s A.M.E.
The 46th Annual Triangle Interfaith Prayer Breakfast will be held at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel in Durham, starting at 7:15 a.m. on MLK Day. The annual MLK Memorial March to the State Capital begins at 11 a.m., at the State Capital in downtown Raleigh, followed by the Ecumenical Service at the Martin Marietta Center at noon.
Book Harvest will also host its annual Dream Big Book Drive at Boxyard RTP from 1 to 4 p.m. Each year it celebrates the power of community and the big dream of books and literacy for all kids with their biggest event of the year! The celebration is part book drive, part volunteer event, part community partner fair, part festival, and all party and fun!
Day of Service events are being held by both North Carolina Central University and Duke University; and other opportunities can be found at the YMCA of the Triangle, the Triangle Nonprofit & Volunteer Leadership Center, as well as contacting local churches and organizations.
I also want to extend a warm invitation to everyone in Durham County to the 21st Annual Durham City-County Martin Luther King Jr. Day Employee Observance event to be held at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 27 inside the First Presbyterian Church, 305 E. Main Street.
Honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is the purpose of the annual celebration, jointly hosted by the City of Durham and Durham County.
Dr. Karrie G. Dixon, Chancellor of North Carolina Central University, will be the keynote speaker and we are excited to hear the13th chancellor at NCCU speak.
The Dignity of Work: Honoring Dr. King’s Legacy of Service and Equality is the event theme for 2026. The 2026 Durham City-County Martin Luther King Jr. Employee Observance seeks to reflect on how this principle continues to guide our shared mission in local government and public service.
“I am excited about the opportunity to address the employees of the City and County of Durham and Durham County residents at this year's observance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day," noted Dr. Dixon. “Dr. King reminded us that ‘everybody can be great, because everybody can serve,’ and our neighbors of the City and County of Durham bring meaning to this life lesson every day.”
The event also features remarks from local leaders and elected officials and musical selections by Stellar Music Award nominee and gospel artist, Kim Person.
Lastly, be sure to check out Kids Voting Durham’s community poem for MLK Day! In honor of Dr. King, Langston Hughes, and all those – past and present – who have dared to dream of a more just and fair world, Kids Voting Durham invited all community members to share their dreams for our community to be in included in the poem. Kids Voting will weave those dreams into a collective poem celebrating our hopes for Durham and its dreamers. Last year's poem in honor of Dr. King was created from the contributions of nearly 100 Durham dreamers, ages 5-88! You can check out last year's poem here. This year’s poem will be posted on Monday.
No matter how you choose to celebrate the MLK Day Holiday, remember that Dr. King’s dream lives on through our actions. May this day inspire us to reflect deeply, act boldly, and continue the work of building a community not just on this day, January 19th, but every day.
Until next time,
Claudia Hager | County Manager