Retired Homeschool Mom: Martin Luther King Jr. Day

My teen son said something this morning that troubled me. When I mentioned that his Spanish class wasn't meeting today in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, he said, "But nobody in that class is black."

I don't know where that perception came from. I don't make a big deal out of every holiday, but we do acknowledge most holidays even as we go about our normal routines, and try to learn something about their origins, purpose, etc. The idea that MLKJr. Day is only for black people didn't come from me. But I will make darn sure that we talk about it today.

Here are a few resources that you can use in your homeschool, or just to learn for learning's sake.

short biography of MLKJr.
http://afroamhistory.about.com/od/biographies/a/A-Biography-Of-Martin-Luther-King-Jr.htm

Videos on History.com

http://www.history.com/topics/martin-luther-king-jr/videos#history-of-the-holidays-martin-luther-king-jr-day

Printable activities for elementary & middle school students
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/history/us/MLK/