Be a King
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is tomorrow! While it’s been a federal holiday for 39 years, it seems more important than ever to continue the work Dr. King began, and there are lots of ways your family can be a part of the legacy he left us (and lots of resources to guide you along the way!).
Dr. King’s family was actually in Phoenix over the weekend, helping to lead yesterday’s voting rights march. They won’t be here for tomorrow’s events, but they certainly helped set the stage for a day of remembrance, hope, and service across the Valley. Your family can participate in a march in Dr. King’s honor tomorrow morning, beginning at Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church in Downtown Phoenix and culminating in a festival at Margaret T. Hance Park from 10 am to 4 pm. If you’d prefer to celebrate virtually, Paradise Valley is livestreaming their event at 11 am, at this link.
Something unique about Martin Luther King Day is that it is the only federal holiday designated as a national day of service – “a day on, not a day off.” Engaging in acts of service tomorrow is a great way to honor Dr. King’s memory. AmeriCorps has been charged with leading the official volunteer efforts, and has a searchable database. But our church and local community are positively bursting with opportunities to give back, so your family may choose to participate in one of those instead.
While you are making plans for your “day on,” spend some time talking with the young people in your family about why we are celebrating in the first place. Joe Dziemianowicz of ‘Today’ created a guide to introducing kids to the meaning of the day, broken down by age. A standout idea from that resource is reading the book Martin’s Big Words by Doreen Rappaport. It’s a really lovely picture book that weaves quotes from Dr. King himself into the story of his life. If you aren’t able to snag a physical copy of the book, Chicago Children’s Museum posted a great read aloud on YouTube. It may be a picture book, but it’s a great read for folks of all ages.
After you read (or listen to) the story, start a conversation about some of the things all of us, even kids, can do to carry on Dr. King’s work. Here are some conversation starters:
Dr. King believed that we are responsible for creating a better future. What do we want that future to look like? What can we do to create it?
Dr. King taught that when there’s injustice, we need to stand up to it. What kinds of injustices have you seen? What did you do, or can you do, to stand up to them?
Dr. King encouraged us to celebrate our differences as well as our commonalities. What makes us different, and what makes us the same? How can we celebrate both?
The book said something really beautiful about Dr. King: “He said love when others said hate.” There’s so much hate in the world – how can we be the ones who say love?
We hope you have some fantastic discussions and experiences tomorrow, and that you’ll share some of them with us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. But please consider tomorrow just the beginning! As Dr. King himself once said, “Remember, if I am stopped, this movement will not be stopped, because God is with this movement.” It’s up to us to keep the movement going.
