Gotta Love National Holidays

Taking a moment to recognize Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, do you remember how the third Monday in January came to be a federal holiday? Do you remember where you were when this “new holiday” went into effect? Looking back, it was Michigan Congressman John Conyers who started it all by first introducing legislation for a commemorative holiday back in 1968, just four days after King was assassinated. A bit too reactionary, the bill didn’t come to its first vote in the U.S. House of Representatives until 1979. It fell five votes short of the number needed for passage. The two main arguments against the bill were that a paid holiday for federal employees would be too expensive, and that a holiday to honor a private citizen would be contrary to longstanding tradition (King had never held public office). Plus the proposed date, on King’s birthdate of January 15th, was considered too close to previous holidays. So with the bill going nowhere with the government, The King Center stepped up to garner support from the general public. In 1980, Stevie Wonder released the single "Happy Birthday" to popularize the campaign and hosted the Rally for Peace Press Conference in 1981. Subsequently, six-million signatures endorsing the holiday were collected on the largest petition in US History. That petition was sent to Congress, and after much political wrangling, the new holiday was set up on the third Monday in January to align with other Monday federal holidays. On November 2, 1983, then U.S. President Ronald Reagan signed the bill into law, thereby creating a federal holiday to honor the man who came to prominence with a dream for civil rights. The holiday was observed for the first time on January 20, 1986. Although, many states put up continued resistance by changing its name or combining it with other holidays. It wasn’t until the year 2000, when South Carolina was the last state to come onboard, that all 50 states recognized Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

In the wake of the devastating 7.0 earthquake that occurred last week in Haiti, George Clooney and MTV Networks have teamed up to hold an international telethon to raise money to support Oxfam America, Partners in Heath, the Red Cross, UNICEF and the Yele Haiti Foundation. The broadcast will air on MTV, VH1, CMT, ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, CNN, BET, THE CW, and HBO this Friday, January 22nd. George Clooney will host on the west coast, Wyclef Jean will host the New York City event, and Anderson Cooper will appear from Haiti. The impressive list of musicians, actors and actresses who will take part in the benefit will be announced in the coming days.

The sister Chicks are back. Emily Robison and Martie Maguire of the Dixie Chicks are said to have recorded an album under the name Court Yard Hounds, a literary reference with a nod to The City of Thieves. Recorded largely at Martie’s home studio in Austin, Texas, the album is scheduled for May and will feature Emily on lead vocals for the first time, with an appearance from the Wallflowers’ Jakob Dylan. Dixie Chicks’ lead singer Natalie Maines will not appear on the album, but Emily and Martie insist that the group has not formally parted ways.