Abstract

All across America on January 20, 1986, there were celebrations and school holidays in honor of the first holiday of the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. In the county of Henrico, a suburb of Richmond, Virginia, the students were in school. Henrico's school administration and school board decided that the students should be in school learning about the contributions of Dr. King. The African American community in the suburb of Henrico County believed this was a slap in the face. The county observed birthdays for White historical figures but would not observe the first federal holiday for one of the most prominent African Americans in the 20th century. This article examines how the King holiday issue mobilized the Black community into political action. It also analyzes how African Americans are trying to secure equal rights in public policies and political representation in the increasingly diversified suburbs of the South.

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