Martin Luther King Day is more than just a Monday off school and work. It's an opportunity to remember one of history's most influential civil rights leaders.
Martin Luther King Jr. — a preacher, orator, community organizer, and father — was the first African American to be granted a national holiday. In 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed the bill that created the federal holiday.
Martin Luther King Jr. was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on January 15, 1929. You can visit the house where he was born and the church where he served as a pastor when you visit the city. In addition, the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site and the King Center in Atlanta honor MLK's history.
Here are five other facts you can share with your kids about Martin Luther King Jr.
1. His birth name was Michael.
Martin Luther King Jr. was named Michael King Jr. at birth, after his father. When Martin Luther King Jr. was 5 years old, his father changed both of their names to Martin Luther to honor an important leader of the German Protestant church.
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2. He skipped two grades.
Martin Luther King Jr. was such a good student that he skipped both the 9th and 12th grades and entered college when he was only 15.
He attended Morehouse College, the alma mater of his father and maternal grandfather, and eventually earned a Doctorate in Theology from Boston University.
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3. King improvised the most recognized line from his most famous speech.
In August of 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. helped to organize the famous March on Washington, where more than 250,000 people joined together to show their support of equal rights for everyone — including advocating for an end to segregation in public schools, protection from police abuse, and to get laws preventing discrimination in employment.
He delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech here, but the final draft he had on stage with him at the event did not include that line.
This famous line from the speech not only sums up his dream but recognizes his role as a father: "I have a dream 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."
4. He got the idea of nonviolent protests from Jesus and Gandhi.
In his book Stride Toward Freedom, Dr. King said that Jesus inspired his philosophy of nonviolence, and he found further inspiration in Gandhi's techniques.
King identified the six principles of nonviolence:
- Nonviolence is a way of life for courageous people.
- Nonviolence seeks to win friendship and understanding.
- Nonviolence seeks to defeat injustice or evil, not people.
- Nonviolence holds that unearned, voluntary suffering for a just cause can educate and transform people and societies.
- Nonviolence chooses love instead of hate.
- Nonviolence believes the universe is on the side of justice.
Read more about King's philosophy from the King Center in Atlanta.
5. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a day of service.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is the only federal holiday designated as a national day of service, encouraging Americans of all ages to volunteer to improve their communities. AmeriCorps has led this effort for the last quarter-century. The organization encourages:
- Engaging with your community and creating constructive action
- Acting on Dr. King's legacy of social justice and equity
- Volunteering to serve others
Some service projects that young kids can participate in include cleaning up a public space, donating to local food pantries, or making no-sew fleece blankets for those in need.
Find or register for a volunteer opportunity in your town!
