Because in 1983 a whole lot of politicians wanted to (surprise, surprise) pander to blacks, and so they passed this law. Enough time had gone by and King's legend had grown to where it seemed a benign enough gesture. The tragic assassination was, of course, the deal closer.
At least his public persona (his sex mania notwithstanding) had some class. I could think of far worse figures to use for such “pandering.”
Both Kennedy’s and King were elevated to godlike status by the circumstances of their deaths.
In life, they were complex and controversial figures, but in death they achieved an unreal status.
A status as unreal as the double life sexual fantasy world all three inhabited.
Leading supporters of King Day were Jack Kemp, Newt Gingrich, Dan Quayle, and, yes, Ronald Reagan, who was apparently embarrassed by his own reservations about King.