Ronald Reagan signed the legislation making Martin Luther King’s birthday a national holiday in November 1983. In January that year, public opinion was divided, with 47 percent in favor of the holiday and 48 percent opposed in an ABC News/Washington Post poll. In an October 1983 Harris poll, however, 59 percent supported it.

What do America’s memorials and monuments tell us about our nation and our identity as citizens? How should we memorialize past events and individuals?

One striking feature of the recent "Restoring Honor" rally on the National Mall was how deeply religious and ecumenical it was.

Ayaan Hirsi Ali reflects on Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy and its relevance for women in Islamic societies.

Obama wasted an opportunity to highlight the swearing in of the first African-American president.

Two cases likely to be decided this month by the Supreme Court could result in significant changes in our civil rights laws.

Until the Iowa caucuses a year ago, most blacks rejected Barack Obama in favor of the Democrat who could win.

A now-irrelevant provision of the Voting Rights Act may soon be no more.