The idea that no condition is permanent resonates as we head into Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Next week we will take time to recognize and honor the work of Dr. King and those who followed him. King also believed that no condition is permanent. He worked tirelessly as a non-violent civil rights activist in the fight for racial equity, a cause which ultimately cost him his life. In his final speech, “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop,” he whole-heartedly embraced this mantra when he famously said, “Well, I don’t know what will happen now. We’ve got some difficult days ahead. But it really doesn’t matter with me now, because I’ve been to the mountaintop…And I’ve seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land.”
Tag: MLK
MLK Resources
This past Friday during dinner we asked our Kindergartner the same question we do every night, “What is something you learned today at school?” Usually he hems and haws on the question, but he quickly told us that he learned about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr and Rosa Parks. We did not hesitate and told him we would love to hear what he learned about them.
Our son then took the next ten minutes to tell us the stories he learned about King and Parks, sharing stories about their childhood, what inspired them, what they did, and how they wanted everyone to be treated equal. I have to admit, we were proud parents. The conversation then shifted to why. He wanted to know why people would not treat everyone nicely or why some people are not treated the same as others. Our five year old was clearly upset by some of the ideas.
We left our dinner feeling inspired that our child had the opportunity to learn about King and Parks, bus boycotts, and Freedom Riders and the importance of the their stories.
In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr Day, I wanted to share a few resources that may be helpful for children of different ages:
Grades PK-5
I am Martin Luther King, Jr by Brad Meltzer
I am Rosa Parks by Brad Meltzer
Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr by Doreen Rappaport
Grades 6-8
Through My Eyes by Ruby Bridges
Generation Fix: Young Ideas for a Better World by Elizabeth Rusch
We are Immigrants: Voices of The Immigrant Experience by Thomas Hoobler
Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom: My Story of the 1965 Selma Voting Rights March by Elspeth Leacock
Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
Grades 9-12
Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
My Life with Martin Luther King, Jr by Coretta Scott King
Dear Martin by Nic Stone
I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sánchez
Freedom Riders: 1961 and the Struggle for Racial Justice by Raymond Arsenault