In 1969, just one year after King’s assassination, Washington, as a state representative serving Illinois’ 26th district, introduced a bill to create a holiday in honor of King. Washington’s efforts were partially successful. That year, Gov. Richard Ogilvie signed the bill that created a “commemorative holiday” to honor the civil rights leader.
A “commemorative holiday” meant that schools were still in session. Students spent the day learning about King, his vision and his numerous achievements. Washington continued to fight for full recognition of King’s importance and continued to fight for a paid holiday.
In 1970, Washington reintroduced the bill in the state legislature, proposing making the celebration of King’s birthday a paid legal holiday, but the bill was vetoed by Gov. Ogilvie. CPS began fully observing the holiday in 1972. Washington would go on to reintroduce the bill twice more before both chambers approved it.
In 1973, after a state leadership change, the bill was finally passed and signed by Gov. Dan Walker, making Illinois the first state to adopt Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a paid state holiday. Other states would do so in the years that followed.
“Harold was very sensitive to our history,” Josie Childs, local political and civic rights activist and founder of the Harold Washington Legacy Committee, told The TRiiBE on Jan. 12.
Childs first met Washington in 1954 at Chicago’s City Hall. Washington was an assistant city prosecutor at the time. She would later become his aide when he was elected mayor in 1983 and served as a cultural events administrator in the City of Chicago’s Special Events and Cultural Affairs department.