1980 RJ1. Discovered 1980 Sept. 12 at the Harvard College Observatory at Harvard.

Named in memory of Martin Luther King (1929–1968), the American civil rights leader who worked to bring about social, political and economic equality for blacks by peaceful means. A Baptist minister who received the 1964 Nobel peace prize, he preached ‘non-violent resistance’ to achieve full civil rights for all. (M 6208)