Jersey City 5K for Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Race Directory, Steve Lipski, explains how the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 5k and memorial service started last year and continued on Monday Jan. 17, 2022.
Kevin R. Wexler, NorthJersey.com
Did President Donald Trump cancel Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth?
MLK Day is just days away and Juneteenth will follow in the coming months.
More than 60% of all residents in the mid-Atlantic region participate in some form of volunteerism during the second federal holiday in January, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Others take advantage of discounts provided on the uniquely African-American celebratory days, but Trump has targeted that perk.
Here’s what you need to know.
Did Trump cancel MLK Day?
Since MLK Day is a one of 12 federal holidays in 2026, President Trump alone does not have the power to outright cancel MLK Day or any established federal holiday.
To do so would require an act of Congress.
Trump can, however, issue executive orders, effective for a year, that changes the way federal holidays are administered.
To that end, the U.S. Department of the Interior confirmed the cancelation of fee-free days at all national parks for MLK Day and Juneteenth.
This means you will have to pay the full entry fee to national parks on those federal holidays.
“Beginning Jan. 1, 2026, the annual pass will cost $80 for U.S. residents and $250 for nonresidents, ensuring that American taxpayers who already support the National Park System receive the greatest benefit,” read a portion of the interior department’s alert. Nonresidents without an annual pass will pay a $100 per person fee to enter 11 of the most visited national parks, in addition to the standard entrance fee.
“These improvements, launching on Jan.1, 2026, reflect President Donald J. Trump’s commitment to making national parks more accessible, more affordable and more efficient for the American people.”
MLK Day and Juneteenth have been removed from the interior department’s list of eight fee-free days:
- President’s Day: Feb, 16
- Memorial Day: May 25
- Flag Day/President Trump’s birthday: June 14
- Independence Day weekend: July 3–5
- 110th Birthday of the National Park Service: Aug, 25
- Constitution Day: Sept. 17
- Theodore Roosevelt’s birthday: Oct. 27
- Veteran’s Day: Nov. 11
The NAACP responded to Trump’s cancelation.
“Trump is doing what he usually does — he seeks to distract and divide us by undermining progress attributed to the Black community. By doing this, he’s hoping we’ll forget about his failures on the economy,” read a portion of the NAACP’s statement. “But we’re not buying it.
“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.”
When is MLK Day 2026?
MLK Day in Monday, Jan. 19. As a federal holiday, all banks, courts and most non-essential services will be closed.
When is Juneteenth 2026?
Juneteenth — which celebrates the official end of slavery in America — is Friday, June 19.
Damon C. Williams is a Philadelphia-based journalist reporting on trending topics across the Mid-Atlantic Region.
