President Trump was expected to sign the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park Act into law while in Georgia on Monday.
The White House said King's niece Alveda King joined the president on Air Force One to sign the law, which was sponsored by U.S. Rep. John Lewis.
The act will redesignate the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site in Atlanta's Sweet Auburn District as the Martin Luther King Jr. Historical Park.
Bernice King issued a statement after the President signed the legislation saying she and her brothers and the King Center were thankful and encouraged by the move.
"On Nov. 2, 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed legislation making the third Monday of January a National holiday in honor of our father's legacy. Today, nearly 35 years later, President Donald Trump has signed into law the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Act.
This act will increase the capacity of all of our collective efforts to preserve the shared work and vision of both Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King. On behalf of my brothers and The King Center, we are thankful to President Trump for this signing.
Fifty years after our father's assassination and fifty years after our mother, Mrs. Coretta Scott King –- without skipping a beat -- assumed the mantle and marched our movement forward by establishing The King Center, we are once again witnessing the historical magnitude of the King legacy. This moment is significant because the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Park will be the first National Park that honors an African-American. It also fulfills my mother's dream of the King Historic District becoming a full-fledged park; and realizes her vision of including in the designated area the original building for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the organization that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. co-founded and for which he served as the first President.
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Lewis issued a statement early Monday evening:
"For many years, I worked with my congressional colleagues and the National Park Service to preserve these Atlanta landmarks and to enhance visitor experiences and services at Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site located in Georgia's Fifth Congressional District.
“A few years ago, the Prince Hall Masonic Temple decided to donate land in historic Sweet Auburn to the National Park Service to ensure that the story of Dr. King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, which he founded, could be better shared and preserved for future generations.
“In addition, the National Park Service wanted to improve the presentation of the historic landmarks, which are integral to Dr. King's legacy and Atlanta's role in the American Civil Rights Movement. These changes required an Act of Congress.
“I am so proud that we were able to work in a bipartisan, bicameral manner to establish Georgia's first National Historical Park in Dr. King's name and legacy before what would be his 89th birthday and the 50th anniversary of his tragic assassination.
“I hope that this moment will serve as a reminder of the constant work to realize Dr. King's dream of building the Beloved Community -- a community at peace with itself and our neighbors.”
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You can take a look at the full text of the act as passed by both the House and the Senate below.
