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Make Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Meaningful for Kids

by Sally Worsham (Subscribe to Sally Worsham's posts)
Jan 18th 2010 10:00AM

2Comments

Filed under: Holidays


Martin Luther King, Jr. in Washington, D.C. on August 28, 1963. King said the March on Washington was "the greatest demonstration of freedom in the history of the United States." Credit: AFP / Getty Images

Celebrated on the third Monday of January, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day can be a worthwhile learning opportunity for your children. Here are five ways to make the most of this occasion, honoring King's life and work.

1. Read a book. Take the time to read a book with your child about King's life. An excellent picture book for preschoolers to fourth graders is "I've Seen the Promised Land: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr." by Walter Dean Myers. It offers an overview of King's role in the civil rights movement and features powerful illustrations by Leonard Jenkins. Another good choice is "Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr." by Doreen Rappaport, which combines text from King's most famous speeches with his life story.

2. Watch a movie. The 1986 documentary "Martin Luther King Jr. - I Have a Dream" not only presents his famous "I Have a Dream" speech in its entirety, but also shows scenes from the crowd of more than 200,000 people who marched on Washington to support the civil rights movement and to attend the Aug. 28, 1963, event. For a more complete overview of King, the 1978 NBC miniseries, "King," is available on DVD, and remains a powerful dramatization of his life and message.


3. Go online. The official Web site of The King Center in Atlanta is a wonderful resource, and it includes King's principles of nonviolence, his library and archives, MLK Day events, a bookstore and a comprehensive photo and video archive. Also, check out MLK Online, which offers a vast database of King's biography, speeches, quotes, photos and video.

4. Attend a special event. Many cities across the country hold special festivities honoring King, from musical celebrations to parades to film screenings. Find an event near you by checking your local newspaper and TV stations, or typing in the city nearest you along with "MLK Day events" into a search engine such as AOL Search.

5. Volunteer. What better way to pay respect to King than to give your time helping others? The U.S. government has set up a Web site specifically for this holiday that provides a list of service projects all across the country for the MLK Day of Service, as well as volunteer opportunities for the entire year. This site allows you to register for a service project near you, such as working with the Boys and Girls Club in your town.

Related: More Martin Luther King, Jr. Web Sites

Tags: evergreen, Martin Luther King Jr., MLK, mlk day, national holidays

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