It’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
“An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.” – MLK
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To try to honor the day, every year I:
- Take the day off. I started a few years ago. For some reason, I had not done this before.
- Watch King’s “I Have a Dream” speech – in it’s entirety. Last year, my daughter walked in and watched it with me. I posted it here.
- Read about Martin Luther King, Jr. with my kids. We rummage through our books until we find “My Brother Martin,” written by King’s sister. I chose this book because it shows them that this man – who with so many others made our nation better than before – was once a boy. I also appreciate that it’s straightforward about the way white people treated black people. And the illustrations are stunning.
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“History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people.” –MLK
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This day raises difficult questions from my children, but I’m thankful for it. Kids are brilliant.
“Rarely do we find men who willingly engage in hard, solid thinking. There is an almost universal quest for easy answers and half-baked solutions. Nothing pains some people more than having to think.” – MLK
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