“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” ~ Martin Luther King Jr.
Next Monday is a federal holiday in the USA– Martin Luther King Jr. day. Why do we clebrate him?
Martin Luther King, Jr. was a civil rights activist in the 1950s and 1960s. He led non-violent protests to fight for the rights of all people including African Americans. He hoped that America and the world could become a colorblind society where race would not impact a person’s civil rights. He is considered one of the great orators of modern times, and his speeches still inspire many to this day.
King was born in the segregated south, but at age 15 spent a summer working in tobacco fields here in CT. He wrote to his mother “I never thought a person of my race could eat anywhere, but we…ate in one of the finest restaurants.” He also wrote of attending church with white people. Later he wrote “After that summer in Connecticut, it was a bitter feeling going back to segregation. I could never adjust to the separate waiting rooms, separate eating places, separate restrooms, partly because the separate was always unequal, and partly because the very idea of separation did something to my sense of dignity and self-respect.”
Here is a link with information about the history of this holiday including a biography of Dr. King, a quiz for kids and a junior crossword. Maybe you can do something special with your host kids to acknowledge the day!
https://www.ducksters.com/biography/martin_luther_king_jr.php
To read the full I Have a dream Speech go to: