Today the kids are off school for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. The banks and post office are closed and it is -5 degrees here in Rockford, IL. This is a great opportunity to enjoy being stuck at home with the kids. This is a chance to talk about civil rights and courage and an opportunity to model empathy. It’s a time to make popcorn and bake cookies and watch a movie or read books together. Today is a day to talk about similarities and differences and kindness and friendship. Don’t let today go down as just a day off school; let it be a day to remember the message that Dr. King shared with us all: the message of peaceful protest for equality, and opportunity for each and every one of us.
If you haven’t seen Selma yet, and you have older children, watch it today. For younger children, A Picture Book of Martin Luther King, Jr. by David Adler is a good story and can be found online, read by LeVar Burton (of Reading Rainbow), at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC-RyrakaQM
On this day off, make sure to at least have a conversation with your kids about why there is no school today. Why do they think Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday (January 15th) is worthy of closing down the nation’s public schools?
Martin Luther King, Jr. did not speak only to African Americans, nor did he only have a dream for his own four children. He spoke to each and every one of us. He believed in true equality and the worth of each individual person. Let today be an opportunity to talk with your kids about their own future and the dream you have for them.