Wondering if anything is open on Martin Luther King Day 2015? MLK Day is a federal holiday, so that means most banks are closed, there’s no mail delivery, and most federal offices will not be open. Many retail stores, including Walmart and Target, will be open regular business hours on MLK Day, but supermarkets and restaurants may be open holiday hours.
Most banks and credit unions will be closed on Martin Luther King Day, including Citibank, Wells Fargo, and Bank of America. According to Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Monday is one of the 10 federal holidays that the U.S. Post Office is closed, so there will be no mail delivery and all post office branches will be closed.
How will YOU #volunteer on Jan. 19th? #MLKDay #DayOfService pic.twitter.com/FztXe6Di3M
— VolunteerMatch (@VolunteerMatch) January 8, 2015
Many federal employees will have the day off on January 19, and most schools, libraries, and the stock market will be closed to honor the human rights icon. For those who aren’t working or attending classes, it’s a great day to give back to your community by signing up for a local Martin Luther King Day of Service event.
The annual MLK Day of Service is a part of the president’s national call to service initiative, United We Serve. For many, it’s not a “day off,” but a “day on” to give back. MLK.gov has a list of events that will be taking place not only on Monday but throughout “King Weekend.”
Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech in front of hundreds of thousands of civil rights supporters on August 28, 1963. Yahoo! News reports that out of those present at his speech, approximately 60,000 were white. Very few arrests were reported.
King’s 16-minute speech was originally titled, “Normalcy, Never Again.” Drafted several times, the title “Normalcy Speech” ended up as the final draft, but it is still commonly known as “I Have A Dream.”
“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”
While many businesses and the federal government will be closed on Martin Luther King Day, there are ample opportunities to put your free time to good use. Will you be taking part in the MLK Day of Service this year?
