Lake County News-Sun |

Moran: Lake County to observe Martin Luther King Day as more than just an optional day off

When it comes to decades that drive our pop-culture nostalgia and therefore our consumer focus, the alternative ’90s are starting to seep energy from the totally happenin’ ’80s, though we still see the occasional insurance commercial driven entirely by a Whitesnake reference.

But the spirit of the 1980s is being revisited as we speak by the Lake County Board, which is poised to officially designate Martin Luther King Day as a full holiday for its employees — only 36 years since the federal holiday was signed into law in 1983, way back when an envelope-pushing singer named Madonna was a rising star.

On Tuesday, the board approved an amendment to the Lake County Employee Policies and Procedures Manual regarding paid holidays, which currently lists King Day as a floating holiday. Translated, that means it’s on a list with Columbus Day, Good Friday, Lincoln’s Birthday and Veterans Day as options for employees to take off if they choose.

The amendment looks to add King Day — celebrated on the third Monday of January — to a list of fixed holidays that include New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, the Friday after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

When the topic came up for discussion during an Oct. 31 meeting of the board’s Financial and Administrative Committee, Paul Frank — who represents the Highland Park area on the board and chairs the committee — called for the county to commemorate King Day “as many other counties do, as the state of Illinois does, as (many) Lake County municipalities do, as many school districts do.”

There is one more hurdle to cross, however, that will prevent county personnel from taking a day off six weeks from now — employees covered by collective-bargaining agreements will need to have King Day added to their contracts.

“Holidays are specifically listed in numerous (contracts),” Patrice Sutton, the county’s finance and administrative services director, told the committee on Oct. 31, “and therefore, it will require discussion with the unions to change those contracts, so it will not be possible for us to get that done for Martin Luther King Day of 2020.”

To the credit of all involved, there does not appear to be any of the pointless and at times intentionally divisive debate seen a generation ago surrounding this 2019 decision to give full faith and credit to King Day. Back in the 1980s, various voices took issue with a federal holiday honoring the civil rights icon, and those of us growing up in Chicago would hear them echoed in certain enclaves.

Let’s paraphrase a few of those arguments:

“There are already too many holidays.” As seen above, this did not stop many, many public and private entities from adding Black Friday and Christmas Eve to the roster.

“What about a holiday for (insert name of other famous person)?” This usually came from the same grumpy grandparents who complained about Black History Month. They would always preface this by saying, “I don’t have a racist bone in my body, but …”

“Martin Luther King is not worthy of a federal holiday.” Hard to believe, but actual elected officials would dispense with tact and say such things, including North Carolina Sen. Jesse Helms, who filibustered against King Day legislation and infamously said “I think (King’s) whole movement included Communists at the highest possible levels.”

History also records that President Ronald Reagan was among the opposition, penning a letter saying the movement for a federal holiday honoring King was “based on an image, not reality.” History also records that Reagan apologized to Coretta Scott King and signed the eventual veto-proof bill designating King Day.

Still, not everyone fell in line. Who remembers when Arizona Gov. Evan Mecham was a mild household name for pouring water on the state’s commemoration of King Day? The Grand Canyon State only got with the program when the NFL started withholding Super Bowls.

Yes, the Big ’80s — like so many decades — were years of growth for the American endeavor. Lake County might be criticized for waiting until the final month of the Techie ’10s to observe Martin Luther King Day as more than just an option, but at least this won’t be a debate that stretches into whatever we decide to call the oncoming ’20s.