US Embassy closed January 20 for Martin Luther King Jr. Day

US Embassy in Manila, Philippines. AP FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – The United States (US) Embassy announced Friday that it will be closed on January 20 for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, an official American holiday.

“The Embassy of the United States in Manila and its affiliated offices will be closed to the public on Monday, January 20, in observance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day,” it said in a statement.

“The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968), who is remembered in the United States on the third Monday of January each year, is perhaps best known as America’s chief spokesman for nonviolent activism as a result of his leadership role in the U.S. civil rights movement,” the Embassy said.

King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 for his role in fighting racial inequality in the US through nonviolent means.

He is most known for his speech “I Have a Dream” which he delivered before thousands of American demonstrators at the Lincoln Memorial in 1963.

One of the most famous lines of his speech went: “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.”

“In 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed legislation into law making King’s birthday a federal holiday,” the Embassy said. King was born January 15, 1929.

“In 1994, the U.S. Congress designated the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday as a national day of service, calling on Americans from every walk of life to volunteer their time and effort on that day to help realize King’s vision of a ‘beloved community.’” it said.

Normal operations of the US Embassy will resume January 21, Tuesday.