Kids, Race, and Racism: Readings and Resources for MLK Day and All Year

Once again, for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, I’m posting a revised list of resources for talking with kids about the holiday and about race and racism in general all year ’round. Here are some sites and articles I’ve found thought provoking, from a variety of perspectives.

MLK Statue

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Himself

  • Many of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s speeches are now easily available on YouTube. Watch one (or part of one, or more than one) with your kids, if they’re old enough. Ask them what parts of the speeches resonate with them today, given their experience of the world.
  • For younger kids, or even to refresh your own memory, check out National Geographic Kids’ page on Dr. King. It’s a simple timeline, but with actual photos of Dr. King throughout his life.
  • Black Children’s Books and Authors shares a list of “10 Books to Celebrate M.L. King Jr. Day” for elementary, middle, and young adult readers.
  • Teaching Tolerance offers a number of resources that “provide students with a more complete, radical context of King’s fight for justice.”
  • On a similar note, Charles Blow in today’s New York Times writes of “The Agitated M.L.K. I Came to Love,” which feels like a fuller picture of the man both for adults and for children old enough to understand it.
  • Of course, we should avoid framing MLK as the sole leader of the Civil Rights movement. Historian Barbara Ransby in today’s New York Times also profiles Ella Baker, “a strategist, organizer and mother to the movement.” See also the book lists below for more about other Civil Rights leaders.

Talking with Kids About Race and Racism

Book Lists

This is just a small selection of the many lists that exist.

Taking Action

  • To take action on what is becoming a national day of service, visit www.MLKDay.gov to find MLK Day volunteer opportunities near you. Bring your kids, if they’re old enough!

Inspiration

  • Finally, President Obama’s MLK Day Proclamation makes a wonderful pairing with his Farewell Address if you’re in need of further uplift—and mission—today. I particularly like this part, which speaks to why we must both remember the origins of the holiday and carry its spirit onward:

Only by drawing on the lessons of our past can we ensure the flame of justice continues to shine. By standing up for what we know to be right and speaking uncomfortable truths, we can align our reality closer with the ideal enshrined in our founding documents that all people are created equal. In remembering Dr. King, we also remember that change has always relied on the willingness of our people to keep marching forward.

Scroll to Top