MLK Day 2020: Here’s What’s Closed In Davidson

DAVIDSON, NC — Martin Luther King Jr. Day falls on Monday, Jan. 20 this year, and a variety of services will be closed in Davidson on the day.

King’s birthday is Jan. 15, but the federal holiday celebrating the civil rights leader is observed on the third Monday of January each year.

Here’s a breakdown of how the holiday could impact your routine Monday, Jan. 20:

• Town of Davidson Offices: Closed
• Mecklenburg County Government Offices: Closed
• Schools and Administrative Offices: Closed
• U.S. Postal Service: Closed
• Trash and Recycling: Town of Davidson garbage and recycling will be collected on a regular schedule.
• Library: Closed
• Mecklenburg County Department of Social Services: Hotlines operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week to receive reports of suspected abuse or neglect. To report abuse of seniors or the disabled, call 704-336-CARE (2273). To report abuse, neglect or human trafficking of children, call 980-31-HELPS (43577).   
• County Health Department: Closed  
• Solid Waste: Administrative offices and all Solid Waste facilities will be closed.
• Park and Recreation: Administrative offices be closed on Jan. 20, 2020. Recreation Centers will be open holiday hours, 9 a.m. — 5 p.m. Senior Centers will be open. Nature Centers will be closed. 
• Mecklenburg County Aquatic Center: Open 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Ray's Splash Planet will open 10 a.m.- 6 p.m. The Marion Diehl Pool remains closed for renovations.   

SEE ALSO: Davidson MLK Celebration Set For Jan. 20: Event Details

The history of the MLK holiday in America is a complicated one.

Almost immediately after King’s assassination in 1968, activists began pushing for a holiday celebrating his Jan. 15 birthday. However, the official national holiday wasn’t signed into law until 1983 by President Ronald Reagan.

The first federal MLK Day was observed on the third Monday of January in 1986, but many states held out. Arizona didn’t recognize the day until 1992, when the state lost its rights to host the Super Bowl after voters in Arizona failed to make the day a paid holiday.

The last state to adopt the holiday? New Hampshire, in 1999.