Every year, on the third Monday of January, we celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Programs and events are held and acts of service occur in and around local/state/national communities.
It’s easy to let MLK Day come and go without much recognition, or to view it only as a day to relax with your family or address those items you’ve been putting off on your to-do list. While those things aren’t necessarily bad, it is important not to miss out on the opportunity to recognize the holiday and explain to our kids WHY we celebrate Dr. King.
MLK Day was established to honor Dr. King’s life and legacy and encourage us all to conduct acts of service. He was a man whose life was devoted to the service of others — from his role as pastor at his Baptist church all the way to the civil rights movement and his fight for unity and diversity in this country. There are many lessons to be drawn from his life; however, there are three that stand out to me as powerful life lessons to pass down and to help explain MLK Day to kids.
3 Life Lessons for Kids from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Legacy
1. Speak your truth.
Dr. King was a man committed to speaking his truth and speaking the truth on the behalf of those who had no voice. What an incredible lesson to teach our kids — the value of making sure their words always ring true. To remind them that whenever they are in a position of privilege and there is injustice unfolding, it is important to speak up and speak the truth.
2. Be a positive influence.
The Memphis Sanitation Strike, Montgomery Bus Boycott, March on Washington, and Native American activism are few examples where Dr. King used his influence to change countless lives for the better. His involvement in these events is part of what made them impactful and memorable. Our kids need to understand that their influence is powerful and can bring about change in a positive way beyond just today. It is also a reminder that who they choose to be influenced by is just as powerful, so being mindful of the friends they keep is vital.
3. Never stop dreaming.
Dr. King had a dream. We are all familiar with his memorable “I Have a Dream” speech. Despite the horrific backlash and challenges he faced, he never stopped dreaming that one day there would be unity among us all. While we still have a ways to go to see the true fulfillment of Dr. King’s dream, we have made great strides as a nation toward it. Teaching our kids to never stop dreaming, even when they face great adversity, is a tool in their life lesson tool belt that they will need to use often.
This MLK Day, I encourage you to take a moment to learn something new about the life and legacy of Dr. King. Share what you’ve learned with your children in an age-appropriate manner. Talk with your children about the lessons I suggested here. Better yet, in explaining MLK Day to your kids, let them SEE those lessons in your day-to-day actions.
Let’s set an intention this year to learn more and set an example. If we don’t take the time to look back, observe, and see what we can learn, we will be doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past. This is not a call to perfectionism, but a call to action and intent because the next generation depends on it.
