Our Blog: January 5, 2023
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Do you know the significance of January 16, 2023?
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is celebrated on the third Monday in January, each year. It’s a federal holiday created to honor the birthday of one of the most influential civil rights leaders of our time.
On MLK Day, we celebrate Dr. King’s courage, trials, passion, and accomplishments that defined his leadership during the Civil Rights Movement from 1955 to 1968, a historic turning point in United States history.
To learn more about MLK Day and social justice, try a few of the following activities with your child:
1. Listen to a read-aloud book! Explore the history and achievements of Dr. King with your children by reading or listening to one of the following recommendations:
- Be a King: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Dream and You by Carole Boston Weatherford - Listen
- Who Was Martin Luther King Jr.? by Lisbeth Kaiser - Listen
- We March by Shane W. Evans - Listen
- All Are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold – Listen
- My Little Golden Book About Martin Luther King Jr. by Bonnie Bader - Listen
2. Play these videos to inspire a better understanding of Dr. King’s impact and how you can help make a difference too. Three of them are kid-friendly songs and one is a short history lesson.
3. Create affirmations that encourage confidence. Write MLK-inspired phrases and place them on sticky notes around the house, such as on a mirror, dresser, toy bin, or empty wall. Try things like, "I am STRONG!” or “My curly hair is unique!” or “My skin makes me feel special!" Discuss the importance of diversity with your child and how we’re all unique and special.
4. Tour a local museum. Search your own community for civil rights museums to discover even more about the rich history and adversities faced by previous generations. Some museums also offer virtual tours if you can’t travel or visit in-person.
- National Civil Rights Museum at The Lorraine Motel (Memphis, TN)
- National Center for Civil and Human Rights (Atlanta, GA)
- Mississippi Civil Rights Museum (Jackson, MS)
- Dallas Civil Rights Museum (Dallas, TX)
- National Museum of African American History & Culture (Washington, DC)
- Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History (Detroit, MI)
5. Volunteer together. Donate your time on this day of service. Start creating change within your community by giving back. Organize a food drive, clean up the trash at your local park, or cook one of your favorite Grow Fit® recipes for a family or neighbor in need.
We hope these activities, stories, and actions inspire you to embrace activism, celebrate diversity, and fight for equality, just as Dr. King so bravely did. Never underestimate the power of one person to be a catalyst for widespread change.
