DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We're going to head north now to New Hampshire where that state is officially celebrating the Martin Luther King Jr. holidays for the first time. It took 20 years for New Hampshire to add King's name to its civil rights observance. We get more now from Teri Adler for our affiliate WHDH.</s>TERRY ADLER, WHDH REPORTER (voice-over): When Martin Luther King Day, the federal holiday, rolls around, this is what you see in New Hampshire: protesters rallying outside the statehouse hoping, someday, state lawmakers will recognize the late civil rights leaders through a New Hampshire holiday. This year, it's a different story:</s>ARNIE ALPERT, MLK COMMITTEE: Oh, it is a victory. It's a great moment right now.</s>ADLER: This state where they "live free or die" will celebrate the first official Martin Luther King Day with the rest of the country. In June, Governor Jeanne Shaheen signed a bill adopting the holiday, but it took civil rights leaders like Arnie Alpert and Lydia Mann (ph) nearly 20 years to see the day.</s>ALPERT: Thousands of people were involved in making this happen, and all of them own a little piece of it. And all of us have been transformed, in a sense, by being part of that.</s>ADLER (on camera): The changes New Hampshire is seeing with the birth of this new holiday goes beyond celebrations in churches and synagogues. Major corporations are now donating money to programs which celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. and his teachings. (voice-over): And for that, Lydia Mann will be singing for joy, along with others who fought long and hard to celebrate Martin Luther King Civil Rights Day at home.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (singing): There must be a God somewhere. So I'll be sharing songs like that song with my people.
New Hampshire Celebrates Martin Luther King Day for First Time