MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY January 18, 2021 Today is one day when we make time to remember, think about, and perhaps choose to take positive action, honoring the legacy, ideas and dreams of Dr King. Here are several links that may help! (Grownups, please review and decide what is appropriate for your children.)

Kid President gives us an overview of Dr King's life ("He kept going!") and an introduction to his words: click here! Find thought-provoking and informative articles on the "Raising Race-Conscious Children" website, including this one: "100 Race-Conscious Things You Can Say to Your Child to Advance Racial Justice" and others, including “ 'I Wish I Were Black': Talking about White Privilege with my 6-year-old". View this Ric Burns documentary from PBS: "Driving While Black"- based on Gretchen Sorin’s book: "Driving While Black: African American Travel and the Road to Civil Rights".

Books, books, books!  Please consider supporting local booksellers (Jabberwocky!) and/or Black-owned bookstores (click here for Oprah's suggestions). Enlarge this image to see a stack of interesting, challenging, and important books, . And click here for an overview of 37 children's books to help talk about racism and discrimination.

Here are 22 books for children & youth about  The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., including "Martin & Anne" - about two children born in 1929 - MLK & Anne Frank - and "their parallel journeys to find hope in darkness and to follow their dreams."

Antiracist Baby: a board book for our littlest ones! Share Ibram X. Kendi's New York Times #1 bestseller. It "empowers parents and children to uproot racism in our society and in ourselves."

Are you a fan of "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott? Here are two fresh versions to appreciate with new eyes: Take a look at this graphic novel for middle graders, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy. It's available now, and reimagines the story with a blended family living in Brooklyn, NY: click here!

So Many Beginnings  (ages 13-18) - coming 9/21 From the publisher's page: "North Carolina, 1863. As the American Civil War rages on, the Freedmen's Colony of Roanoke Island is blossoming, a haven for the recently emancipated. Black people have begun building a community of their own, a refuge from the shadow of the "old life." It is where the March family has finally been able to safely put down roots with four young daughters."

And for something different: here's an "epic fantasy, a middle grade American Gods set in a richly-imagined world populated with African American folk heroes and West African gods." (Bookshop.org) Check out Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky, first in a series & ALA Coretta Scott King Author Award winner! Tell me, grownups, would your children/youth be interested in a St James' kids' book group featuring this book?

At a quiet time, perhaps light a candle and pray these words + your own, too: A Collect for Martin Luther King, Jr. Almighty God, by the hand of Moses, your servant, you led your people out of slavery, and made them free at last: Grant that your Church, following the example of your prophet Martin Luther King, may resist oppression in the name of your love, and may strive to secure for all your children the blessed liberty of the Gospel of Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

PS In the graphic at the top, "I" is not capitalized. Why did the artist choose that punctuation (or lack thereof)? Some poets do that (e e cummings, for instance). It disturbed me, because I wondered if that was a choice to diminish Dr King's individuality. Then I decided that by making the I lower case, perhaps the intent of the artist was to include all of us - to invite everybody - to join in the dream of Dr King. I (i?) wonder what you think? Linda