MLK Day Marked by Protests and Warnings Over Trump Civil‑Rights Rollbacks
MLK Day was marked by protests and efforts to "reclaim" the holiday as activists and community leaders warned the fraught U.S. political climate could enable civil‑rights rollbacks under the Trump era. Tensions were amplified by sharp rhetoric from public figures, including a former DHS official who called Gov. Tim Walz's comparison of immigrant children to Anne Frank "disgusting" and inflammatory.
📌 Key Facts
- MLK Day 2026 marked the 40th year of its observance as a federal holiday, with events nationwide on Monday.
- Trump’s 2025 executive orders "Ending Illegal Discrimination And Restoring Merit‑Based Opportunity" and "Ending Radical And Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing" accelerated rollback of civil‑rights‑related and DEI initiatives in federal agencies, corporations and universities.
- At Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Sen. Raphael Warnock urged congregants to keep pushing back against Trump’s policies and sweeping immigration enforcement, while pastor A.R. Bernard accused the administration of trying to erase painful Black history.
- Trump recently told the New York Times he believes the Civil Rights Movement and resulting reforms were harmful to white people, saying they "were very badly treated."
- The National Park Service last month dropped free entry on MLK Day and Juneteenth, substituting Flag Day and Trump’s birthday, a change cited by speakers as part of a broader attempt to rewrite history.
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January 27, 2026
January 19, 2026