6 Ways to Commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Today’s students were not as attuned to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as their parents or grandparents, many of whom remember Dr. King’s fiery speeches from their childhood. His assassination in 1968 saddened the entire country and brought racial differences to a head. The following information from the Diocese of Orlando will help parents of students in schools in Orlando, Florida to openly discuss the impact Dr. King had on our culture.Dr. King was born in Atlanta, Georgia on January 15, 1929. He is best known as a civil rights activist and leader of the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He was also a Baptist minister. Dr. King wanted to see change in the way African-Americans were treated, educated, and employed. His method of retaliation was in the form of peaceful demonstrations and marches, such as his 1963 March on Washington. He pressured businesses to treat African-Americans fairly by bringing together huge numbers of people to boycott discriminating organizations, such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott. To commemorate his life, use the following interactive ideas.

• Print out an online activity page or coloring page and have your children color or work a word search puzzle as you read a book concerning Dr. King’s life and accomplishments. Discuss different topics with your children and ask their opinion of the way people were treated during the 1950s and 1960s.
• Act out Dr. King’s “I have a dream” speech after listening to the original. Create your own version of your dreams for the future – where would you like to see social changes within the next five, 20, or 50 years?
• Create a timeline of Dr. King’s accomplishments, illustrating with crayons or markers along the way.
• Decorate and cut out a simple peace decoration, such as a dove or a peace sign, to hang on the refrigerator or in your child’s room.
• Fly the American flag, under which we are all united.
• Look up the Nobel Prize for Peace and read why Dr. King was awarded this prestigious prize.

At the end of the day, talk about tolerance and how everyone should be treated the same, regardless of how they look or where they were born. The celebration of inclusion fosters a more caring generation of learners. Because you are your children’s best role models, show them how to treat others, and what to do when they see others not being treated fairly. To learn more information on inclusion and diversity, read our blogs. Contact the Diocese of Orlando today at 407-246-4903 to hear about the diversity in our schools in Orlando, Florida.