Here are a few things to tell your kids about Martin Luther King, Jr. If your kids have questions about the holiday, this is a great opportunity to teach them about love, acceptance, and peace, and equality for all.
“Mom, who is Martin Luther King, Jr?”
Martin Luther King, Jr. is more than a holiday. Although the segregation era happened a long time ago, it’s a must that we educate our children, teach them about Martin Luther King, Jr., why we celebrate the holiday, and how we should move forward.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was an African American minister and activist who was a highly visible and outspoken leader during the American civil rights movement in the United States from 1955 until he was assassinated in 1968. I think that there are obvious lessons here with regards to American history, but there are also a few more significant messages. If you do not know who this man is, and why we celebrate his life, you must.
What did Martin Luther King do?
King was an activist who believed in equality for all worked to combat racial inequality in a number of ways. He organized and lead peaceful and non-violent protests and marches calling for basic civil rights for African Americans – the right to vote, labor rights, desegregation, and more. Today, he is best known for his “I Have a Dream” speech given at the March on Washington, which called for civil and economic rights for all and an end to racism in America.
3 things to tell your kids about Martin Luther King, Jr.
No matter your age, sex, race, or nationality, it is important that we reflect on our historical happenings worldwide. So, how do you explain, to a child, that a man who practiced positivity and non-violence, was assassinated for doing so? Here are some lessons to teach your kids about the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday.
Life isn’t always fair
I am sure that all adults have learned this some way or another, but it’s true: life isn’t fair, and King’s story is quite the example. A positive, peaceful man, growing up during the times of segregation (separate schools, churches, and even drinking fountains) and racial intolerance, he knew that judging a person’s character by their exterior was wrong. King believed that all people were created equal and that African Americas should be treated as such.
King preached about love and equality and was eventually killed for doing so. They did not like the fact that he was standing up in a quest to make a change. Should a good man have to suffer, have less than others, or even die, for doing nothing wrong?
Dream BIG and speak out
If you were a kid living in the ’50s and ’60s, you would likely have never lived near, went to school with, or played with other kids that are not of the same race. America did whatever it could to keep the races separate, and viewed African Americans as inferior. King’s famous speech, “I Have a Dream”, is known by millions as a hope and a plea that all people would be equal. Due to his persistence, and his courage to stand up and motivate the world, his dream came true.
Just LOVE each other
If we simply love, all people, all colors, all genders, all lifestyles, we’ll be tolerant to them. I do believe that love, a conquer of hate and non-acceptance of what is different than you. This was King’s primary agenda. Unfortunately, there is still quite the battle in America today, and it’s going to be pretty tough to convince some hateful people that they don’t need to be that way. The best you can do is LOVE, share love, fill your heart with the positive, and hopefully, the rest will fall into place.
What have you taught your kids about Martin Luther King, Jr?
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