Teaching Our Children About Martin Luther King Jr.

Today I posted on Instagram:

How will you teach your babes about MLK? This is a question I ask myself every year, and especially on this day.

In college I took classes, including a Civil Rights Rhetoric class, that introduced me to experiences and history I had not understood deeply enough before. Reading civil rights speeches and listening to classmates changed the way I thought about race, history, and my responsibility to keep learning.

Our nation has made real progress, and racial injustice has not disappeared. I want my children to know our history truthfully, to recognize the dignity of every person as made in the image of God, and to love their neighbors without partiality. James 2 warns Christians against favoritism, and Jesus commands us to love our neighbors.

I am thankful for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and for the courage with which he confronted racial injustice. I want my children to learn from the history of Dr. King, Rosa Parks, and others who worked for civil rights, while measuring every human voice, including mine, against Scripture rather than treating any person as infallible.

Each year I set aside time to read books with my children about Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and others who made important contributions to racial equality.

I am Martin Luther King, Jr. (Ordinary People Change the World)

Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

I am Rosa Parks (Ordinary People Change the World)

I am Jackie Robinson (Ordinary People Change the World)

I am Harriet Tubman (Ordinary People Change the World)

I pray that God helps my children love Him and love their neighbors, reject partiality, seek what is true, and treat every person with dignity.

xo,
Samantha

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