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Video from Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebration 2008 Activities
Principles of Nonviolence
How to Learn MoreYour family can learn more about Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday through the following websites: |
Martin Luther King, Jr. HolidayMonday, January 21, 2007 “I have a dream that my four From the “I Have a Dream” speech, Aug. 28, 1963. Special Performances
SoVoSóMonday, January 21 Come honor the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with SoVoSó. Be uplifted by this amazing a cappella ensemble’s unique, rhythmic mix of jazz, gospel, world and R & B music Film ShowingMighty Times: The Legacy of Rosa Parks Come and see this Academy Award-nominated short film in our Discovery Theater. Parents & Children 5 and over Ways to Celebrate with KidsWalk the Walk: Most children learn about Dr. King as an individual, but the changes that came about during the Civil Rights era of the 1960s were the result of a massive social movement, not the actions of one man. Families can “take to the streets” and plan a walk to raise money for a local charity of nonprofit organization that your children care about. Although the cause may be different than those Dr. King fought for, the message to children will be the same: “When we all march together, we can change things” – Martin Luther King, Jr. Create a multicultural banquet: One of Dr. King’s greatest achievements was his ability to help Americans appreciate diversity. Celebrate his birthday with an eclectic holiday dinner featuring cuisine from different countries of geographical regions. Visit another House of Worship: Many children think Dr. King was a physician; they have no idea that he was a minister who preached regularly. Celebrate his birthday weekend and promote religious tolerance by taking children to a church, temple, or synagogue other than your own. “Even though we sing different hymns, we all believe in the same God” – Martin Luther King, Jr. |
Brief BiographyOne of the most visible advocates of nonviolence and direct action as methods of social change, Martin Luther King, Jr. was born in Atlanta on January 15, 1929. As the grandson of a pastor and founder of Atlanta’s NAACP chapter and the son of a pastor, Dr. King’s roots were in the African-American Baptist church. Through study, Dr. King deepened his understanding of theological scholarship and explored Mahatma Gandhi’s nonviolent strategy for social change. King married Coretta Scott in 1953 and they had four children. Dr. King’s involvement with the civil rights movement began with the arrest of Mrs. Rosa Parks in 1955. Mrs. Parks, an African-American seamstress on her way home from work, was arrested for not giving a white bus rider her seat. Dr. King and the other African-American community leaders felt a protest was needed and the Supreme Court ended their bus boycott by declaring that Alabama’s state and local laws requiring segregation on buses were illegal. In January 1957, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) was formed with Dr. King as their president. The following May 17, Dr. King would lead a mass march of 37,000 people to the front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC. Dr. King had become the undisputed leader of the civil rights movement. During his lifetime, Dr. King fought for African-American voter registration, desegregation, and better education and housing opportunities for all. On August 28, 1963, 200,000 people gathered in the front of the Lincoln Memorial to hear his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. Dr. King went on to receive a Nobel Peace Prize nomination and was Time Magazine’s “Man of the Year.” Tragically, Dr. King was shot and killed leaving a motel room on April 4, 1968. Fifteen years after Dr. King’s death, President Ronald Reagan signed a bill into law making the third Monday of January a national holiday celebrating the birth and life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. |
