To a child born in the 2000s, the Civil Rights Movement of four decades ago is ancient history. We all enjoy freedoms and a level of equality that would have been unimaginable without the hard work of Martin Luther King, Jr., and other leaders of the movement. The first Presidential election they can remember elected President Obama. Gay marriage is not a novelty to them. It would be understandable if this generation knew little of the struggles of the past. Few American children today could imagine the courage it took Ruby Bridges just to go to school every day, as Norman Rockwell depicted in The Problem We All Live With, above.
In hopes that Martin Luther King Day has more meaning to today's children than just a day off from school, I talked to my kids about it. They had both spent a few days last week in class learning about Martin Luther King. I was curious to hear what they understood from what they were taught in school.
First, I talked to my seven year old.
Me: Who is Martin Luther King?
7 y.o.: Martin Luther King was born in Atlanta, Georgia. His family called him MLK when he was little. He had a sister named Christine. He started high school when he was fifteen, which was very young. He went to Morehouse College. He married a beautiful lady named Coretta Scott. Then they had their first baby, Yolanda King. He became a minister in Montgomery, Alabama.
Me: Why is he important?
7 y.o.: He is important because he made a lot of speeches and helped the United States. He helped by making speeches and working really hard. He helped our world by making everything equal. He got arrested sixteen times. Then one day, Rosa Parks went on a bus. She was very tired because of the sewing she did. And then a white man came and told her to get off. But she said no. She got arrested. So Martin Luther King had a meeting. He said that people shouldn't ride buses until the law changed. Instead, they should ride carpools, walk, or bike to work. This was called the bus boycott. It was almost a year before they changed the law. Finally, they changed the law so that African Americans and Africans could sit wherever they want.
Me: What happened to him?
7 y.o.: He died when he was on his motel balcony and he was talking to his garbage worker friends. A man was on the other building and shot him on the head.Me: Why did the man shoot him?
7 y.o.: He did that because he didn't want everything to be equal. Because he still thought whites were the best. The man has black hair and got arrested.
"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.
© Linda Shiue, 2010
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Comments
Glad your kids found some books about MLK. We're lucky to be in a place where my kids learn quite a bit about politics and diversity. If your kids haven't learned about Ruby Bridges, you should check out the movie that was made about her-- it's geared towards kids, educational, and a feel good movie as well.