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Here in the United States we reserve the third Monday in January to honor one of our nation's greatest heroes, the late Martin Luther King, Jr. This upcoming Monday, January 15, many will have a day off work in celebration of Martin Luther King Day.
In deference to the work that King did we also use this day to honor more than just the man. As his late wife Coretta Scott King wrote, we "commemorate the universal, unconditional love, forgiveness and nonviolence that empowered his revolutionary spirit." Per Wikipedia, "In Utah, Martin Luther King Day is also known as Human Rights Day; similarly, in Arizona and New Hampshire, Martin Luther King Day is also known as Civil Rights Day."
The Martin Luther King Day holiday is a great opportunity to talk with our children about peace, activism, racism, and what it means to be a hero. Many MLK sites suggest that this be used as "a day ON, not a day OFF." By using this day to enjoy community outreach and service, perhaps we best can appreciate and honor the memory of Martin Luther King, Jr. We also can use the day to recognize or remember that there's much more work to be done, in our communities as well as in ourselves.
Reverend Mommy blogged Bishop Woodie White's annual letter to MLK. In this year's letter to King, Bishop White writes:
We seem to be at a curious juncture in America in the area of race. On the one hand, systemic and institutional racism are giving way to a more racially inclusive society. On the other, individual daily acts of prejudice and racism can still be encountered routinely.
White America, I believe, does not fully appreciate that black Americans live with the uncertainty of where and when these acts will occur. They could show up in the actions or comments of a waitress, taxi driver, supervisor, co-worker, clerk or even a "friend."
So how best to celebrate Martin Luther King Day with your preschool- and elementary school-aged children?
Librarian cloudscome of a wrung sponge reviews two books about MLK: "Happy Birthday, Martin Luther King by Jean Marzollo, illustrated by J. Brian Pinkney is the book I am planning to read to Buddy Boy this weekend. He is four years old and just beginning to understand ideas of justice and fairness." She also advises that she and her family are taking part in an MLK day of service with other families of adoption.
One of my readers, Daisy of Compost Happens recommends the book Martin's Big Words. She comments, "Young kids can understand it, and older children and young adults start to interpret and look into the speches from which the short quotes were taken."
For young adults, BlogHer Contributing Editor Kim Pearson recommends MLK: The Journey of a King by Tonya Bolden. Pearson has the audio of an interview she did with Bolden on her personal blog Professor Kim's News Notes. Among other things, she and Bolden discuss "how Dr. and Mrs. King should be remembered, especially by young people."
Zeus of The Zeus Excuse gives us Thirteen Ways to Celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, including doing a Martin Luther King Jr. scavenger hunt and a word search.
LoveMyTanker of Education and Homeschool News gives us a great link to Enchanted Learning's page about Martin Luther King, Jr. Enchanted Learning provides a short biography and timeline of his life for free; other materials are available to paid subscribers of the site.
(Side note: It was MLK's son, Martin Luther King III, who said, "The kind of things homeschoolers are doing may be the saving grace of our nation.")
For lots of free Martin Luther King Jr. Day activities and resources for kids, check out FamilyEducation.com.
Kidsblog give links to web-based learning tools and to what parents can do around Springfield, MO.
To discover more Martin Luther King Jr. Day craft projects as well as activities in your area, check out new parenting community site, Maya's Mom, and do a search for "Martin Luther King".
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BlogHer Contributing Editor Mary Tsao also blogs at Mom Writes.
Image credit: Amazon.com
