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Americans honored MLK Day for 40 years. Is 2026 different?

Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. delivers a speech to a crowd of approximately 7,000 people on May 17, 1967 at UC Berkeley's Sproul Plaza in Berkeley, California.
Michael Ochs Archives
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Getty Images
Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. delivers a speech to a crowd of approximately 7,000 people on May 17, 1967 at UC Berkeley's Sproul Plaza in Berkeley, California.

Visitors to U.S. national parks get in free on certain holidays.

But two days honoring Black history, Martin Luther King’s birthday and Juneteenth, are no longer free.

As America marks 40 years of observing MLK Day, today on the Wheelhouse we’ll look at how the current Republican administration in Washington is marking King’s birthday and what that means for Black history.

GUESTS:

  • Bilal Sekou, Hillyer College associate professor of political science, University of Hartford
  • Alan Spears, senior director of cultural resources in the government affairs department, National Parks Conservation Association
  • Charlie Sykes, writer of “To the Contrary,” Substack 

The Wheelhouse is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.

Frankie Graziano is the host of 'The Wheelhouse,' focusing on how local and national politics impact the people of Connecticut.
Talei Ricketson is a temporary producer for The Wheelhouse for spring 2026. She was a Talk Show Production Intern for fall 2025. Reach her at tricketson@ctpublic.org.
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