Celebrate with Your Children Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. – the Family Man - This January 16

            Each year, I write a blog post about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. centering around his accomplishments, with lots of links to websites with information to share with your children.  This year, I am writing about him as a family man. 

             MLK (for short) was married to Coretta Scott King and they had four children - Yolanda Denise King, Martin Luther King III, Dexter Scott King, and Bernice Albertine King.  Not surprisingly, all four dedicated their lives to be activists, following in their father’s footsteps.

             Mrs. King was devoted to raising their children.  She, nevertheless, took an active part in the civil rights movement, often participating in strategy meetings and marching at her husband’s side.  After her husband’s death, she continued with his legacy.   One of her most important accomplishments was establishing the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center For Nonviolent Social Change (The King Center) in honor of her husband.

             Yolanda was the eldest child.  It was reported that, when her father was arrested and jailed in 1963, she wanted to go to an amusement park named Funtown with her friends.  Due to her race, though, she could not.  MLK later wrote about it in a letter that became famous as Letter from Birmingham Jail.  She was 12 years-old when her father was assassinated.  Later, she became a well-known racial justice and human rights advocate.

             MLK’s son, King III, became the leader of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, which had been established by his father.  His daughter Yolanda, named after his sister, is 13 years-old and speaks out about voting rights.    

             Dexter led the Center for Nonviolent Social Change director, a charitable Atlanta-based association established by his family.  Bernice became a lawyer, peace advocate, and a minister.  She is also the CEO of The King Center, which her mother had established.

            Below are some links with more information and videos that you can share with your children about MLK’s family.  This is a special way to teach your children more about this great man.

For more information, please visit:

https://thekingcenter.org/about-tkc/about-mrs-king/

https://parade.com/1330595/jessicasager/martin-luther-king-jr-kids/

https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/martin-luther-king-jr

https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/encyclopedia/letter-birmingham-jail

https://kidadl.com/facts/facts-about-dr-martin-luther-king-jr-s-children-you-should-know

In Celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday: Help Your Children Learn More About His Life's Story

*Image by Dreamstime.com

            The third Monday each year is a federal holiday that has been set aside for us to honor the amazing life and accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  It was created a national holiday in 1983 after 32 years of campaigning. 

            Please have your children involved so that they can learn more about him! There is so much information available for children that is absolutely free, from suggested activities to printouts and crossword puzzles to coloring pages as well as YouTube videos designed just for children.  And, of course, there are many children’s books too.  I have researched and compiled some websites for you to review and share with your children.  Even if your children have done some studies about him last year or in school, there is such a vast amount of information available that they can always learn something new.

Please visit:

https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/martin-luther-king-jr

https://www.education.com/resources/martin-luther-king-jr-day/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAuP-OBhDqARIsAD4XHperOyQ_KZuPez79Jp1qoVuyK1ojYdZJvd7OrOKtTLF2V7d9QLuNg-IaAj_KEALw_wcB

https://www.scholastic.com/parents/books-and-reading/raise-a-reader-blog/beyond-martin-luther-king-jr.html

https://coloursofus.com/14-childrens-books-about-martin-luther-king-jr/

Teaching Our Children About Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

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Monday, January 16, is a federal holiday in honor of the great civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  What do you plan to do that day with your children?  Is it just another day off for you to spend time doing chores at home or shopping?  I strongly suggest that you take the time to plan celebrating this holiday and teaching your children about all the accomplishments of this American hero and his tremendous impact on us, and of course, incorporate reading into all your activities.

What are some of the things that you can do?  In her online article on Scholastic.com, Teach Kids About Martin Luther King, Jr., author Denene Millner makes some good suggestions.  First, she says to be honest when talking with your children, even though it may be painful.  Explain to your children that there were days when “Colored People” had their own drinking water fountains.  Tell them about being forced to sit in the back of a bus or to attend separate schools just because of the color of your skin.  Show them pictures of the past so that they can see for themselves what actually happened.

Second, discuss what Dr. King did that directly affects us today and how he promoted nonviolence.

Third, attend and volunteer at events that honor him.  Do some research in your community to find out what are the best activities for your family.

In addition to what Ms. Millner recommends, I would like to recommend that parents discuss who Dr. King was.  Let your children find out all about his interesting background, including that he was a brilliant man who started college when he was 15 years old!  I’m certain that he did a lot of reading as he grew up.  Importantly, he was not only a brave leader, but he was also a husband, father, and minister.

There are many wonderful books about Dr. King for every age group.  Visit your local library or bookstore.  He should not be just a memory in history.  Make this hero come alive for your children because there is so much that they can learn from him.

To read Ms. Millner’s entire article, click here.