The proclamation came hours after NAACP criticism and followed earlier controversy over King’s legacy and federal holidays.
Voice News Service
President Donald Trump formally recognized the 2026 Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday only after facing mounting criticism from civil rights leaders and organizations for failing to issue a timely statement honoring the day.
The proclamation, released late on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, came hours after the NAACP publicly rebuked Trump for remaining silent while communities across the country commemorated the legacy of the civil rights leader. By contrast, President Joe Biden had issued a statement honoring King several days earlier.
NAACP President Derrick Johnson accused Trump of deliberately ignoring the holiday, saying the president has “zero interest in uniting this country or recognizing its history and diversity.” Johnson and other advocates argued that Trump’s delay reflected a broader pattern of minimizing the contributions and struggles of Black Americans.
The backlash followed controversy late last year after the Trump administration removed Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth from the National Park Service’s annual free-entry calendar, replacing them with Trump’s birthday, June 14 — which also coincides with Flag Day. Critics said the move symbolized an effort to sideline historic milestones central to Black history.
“Removing MLK Day and Juneteenth from the national parks calendar is more than petty politics — it’s an attack on the truth of this nation’s history,” the NAACP said at the time, calling it an attempt to erase King’s legacy and minimize the meaning of emancipation.
In his eventual proclamation, Trump defended his record by pointing to his decision last year to declassify documents related to King’s assassination. That move was met with resistance from members of King’s family, including Bernice King, who criticized the administration’s broader approach to civil rights.
Speaking during King Day observances, Bernice King also condemned Trump’s recent comments suggesting the Civil Rights Act of 1964 harmed white Americans. She called the claim “wrong and dangerous,” warning that it rewrites history and fuels division rather than unity.
“The Civil Rights Act did not give Black people special treatment,” she said. “It made discrimination illegal.”
While Trump’s proclamation praised King’s words and encouraged Americans to engage in service, it notably avoided explicit references to Black Americans or the systemic racism King spent his life confronting — omissions that critics say underscore why the delayed recognition drew such sharp reaction.