Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration in Ames

The elementary school children singing during a Martin Luther King Jr Community Celebration at Monday will never know a time when the Civil Rights leader was not celebrated.

But, Dr. Tom Hill, vice president of student affairs, said there was a fight to honor the man. His birthday became a federal holiday in 1986 and a national day of service in 1994, but it wasn't until 2000 that MLK Day was observed in all 50 states.

“It's still the first and only national holiday to recognize a person of color,” Hill said.

Hill made the comments during a birthday celebration at Ames Middle School Monday.

Ames High School Jazz Band performed while a full house ate cake. More than 100 and elementary school students performed on stage breaking up speeches by a handful of Ames residents including Keynote Speaker Jeff Johnson, President and CEO of the Iowa State University Alumni Association.

Jerry Tormey of Friends of Iowa Civil Rights also presented its Civil Rights Awards to and ended the ceremony by singing “We Shall Overcome.”