This year, as we honor the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we want to reflect upon the reality of his mission and share with young people the complexity of both the man and the civil rights movement. In recent years, King’s legacy has been used in attacks on critical race theory and attempts to undermine social justice education. These LFJ resources—including words of wisdom from the late Rep. John Lewis—can aid in understanding the contemporary significance of the civil rights movement in countering policies that attempt to limit teaching honest history.
As Martin Luther King Jr. Day approaches, educators across the nation will teach about King’s life and works. Countless others will echo his famous quotes. Few will offer a full picture of who King truly was—or of the collectivist movement that surrounded him. These resources can help you offer a fuller account of King, his peers and the ongoing legacy of their shared dreams and actions.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., born January 15, 1929, became the most well known leader of the modern civil rights movement. But the truth of King’s legacy is often whitewashed and sanitized. On his birthday, MLK Day and year round, use these resources to provide students with a more complete, radical context of King's fight for justice—and discuss how his work still creates ripples today.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday is an opportunity to tell a nuanced story about a complicated man and movement. This edition of The Moment includes two articles that can help you teach MLK’s legacy with the complexity it deserves—even to young students. We’ve also included a downloadable, printable One World Poster featuring a quote from King’s “Letter From a Birmingham Jail.”
Martin Luther King Jr. is the most iconic figure of the Civil Rights Movement, but the narrative around his life and work is often oversimplified in classrooms and public discourse. We invite you to expand the narrative and teach a more complex and comprehensive view of Dr. King and a more honest history of the United States. Check out these Learning for Justice resources to better understand King’s strategies and goals, the context of the movement for equality and civil rights, and the work that remains to be done.