On January 31, 1961, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave a speech at the University of Utah. His visit to Salt Lake City not only marked a significant moment in the Beehive State’s history but also added much-needed momentum to the journey toward equality.
His legacy in Utah would remain controversial long after his death, however, as Utah struggled for more than a decade to adopt the federal holiday that bears his name.
The Visit
King visited Utah during the burgeoning days of the civil rights movement. He was invited to speak at the University of Utah, where he delivered a speech titled “The Future of Integration” to more than 1,500 people. He emphasized the importance of unity and equality and the need for integration as a means to achieve true racial harmony. Some of the highlights from the speech include the following quotes:
We are standing on the threshold of the greatest period of racial development.The most important force behind the struggle . . . is the non-violent resistance movement. It’s our most potent weapon.
Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable. . . . Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.
If democracy is to live, segregation must die. Segregation is a cancer in the body of democracy that must be removed if the health of the nation is to survive.
King’s visit to Utah had a profound impact on the state’s approach to civil rights. His speeches sparked conversations about racial disparities and raised awareness about the need for reform. His visit also inspired local activists, leading to increased civil rights activism in the state.
The Holiday Controversy
On November 2, 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed a bill designating a federal holiday on the third Monday in January named for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. By 1999, every state in America had recognized the holiday except for Utah. In fact, it took nearly 15 years for the Beehive State to recognize the holiday by its official name, with the Utah legislature choosing to instead call it Human Rights Day.
In 1985, Terry Lee Williams, the first African American to serve in the Utah State Senate, introduced a bill to call the holiday after King. But others in the senate refused to even allow a vote.
There were multiple attempts in the late ‘80s and throughout the ‘90s to pass similar bills—all of which failed. King’s widow, Coretta Scott King, even visited Brigham Young University in 1986 to rally support for the holiday.
Opposition was fueled by concerns about expenses related to giving Utah workers another day off, questioning King’s contributions, prominent religious leaders’ critical rhetoric about him, and conspiracy theories about his alleged communist affiliations. However, as the years went by, societal attitudes began to shift, with younger generations of Utahns holding King in a more favorable light.
Finally, in 2000, Utah became the last state to recognize Martin Luther King Jr. Day by name, largely thanks to unwavering advocacy from NAACP president Jeanetta Williams, Utah congressman Robert Sykes, and Gordon B. Hinckley, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The Legacy
The struggle to recognize Martin Luther King Jr. Day in Utah serves as a poignant reminder of the power of persistent activism. And while Utah was the last state to formally recognize the holiday, the story of how it eventually did so offers valuable lessons.
Today, King’s legacy is honored with a street in Salt Lake City that bears his name: Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard (600 South), where you can find the Trinity AME Church—the oldest African American institution in Utah. This street is also where Richmond Park is located, which is named after local philanthropist and civil rights activist Mignon Barker Richmond, who was also the first black woman to graduate from a Utah college.
► You’ll also like: 15 Inspiring Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes
