DOI
10.1177/00219347022500
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.
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
3-2003
Publisher Statement
Copyright © 2003, Sage Journals.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0021934702250033
The definitive version is available at: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0021934702250033
Recommended Citation
Shields, T. J. (2003). The "Tip Of The Iceberg" In A Southern Suburban County: The Fight for a Martin Luther King, Jr., Holiday. Journal of Black Studies, 33(4), 499-519. https://doi.org/10.1177/0021934702250033
Included in
American Politics Commons, Civic and Community Engagement Commons, Public Administration Commons, Public Affairs Commons