Martin Luther King Jr Day was created by President Reagan in 1983, at least officially. The day of his assassination had remained an important part of American culture since it occurred in 1968. On Martin Luther King Jr Day people gather to celebrate the work he did and the people he elevated through steady, peaceful protests and activism. The struggles he fought to eliminate were still present in 1983, made evident by the fact that it took until 2000 until it was officially recognized and practiced by every state in the union, in spite of being a presidentially recognized holiday. Source: https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/martin-luther-king-day/