Rachel Roland is a mom on a mission - exploring the Valley with her two little companions in search of the best restaurants, attractions, and products for you and your children. See what she has in store for your family today!
Today is an important day in our history - a day when we take time to remember Dr. Martin Luther King, a man who was instrumental in changing segregation laws in our nation. It's amazing to realize that merely 50 years ago, segregation based on the color of someone's skin was still commonplace in our country.
Just as we as individuals learn from our mistakes, it's important that we don't forget or shy away from the lessons that can be learned from this painful past. It's just as important to share this history with our children, especially as time seems to pass, we seem to become less affected and impressed with historical information.
One great way to help your children be aware of what a force Dr. Martin Luther King was (and continues to be) in our culture, you can find books for the younger set - two are "A Picture Book of Martin Luther King Jr." and "Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr."
Both books explain Dr. Kings life in an easy to read manner so either you can read to your little ones, or young readers can read on their own. The idea of segregation will probably be foreign to your children, so be sure to be there to answer their questions. You can also read portions of the 'I Have a Dream' speech and discuss - you can ask your children questions like: "If you could have everyone do something important, what would it be?" or "What do you think people should do so everyone can live happily together?"
If you're looking for events around town, there are a few things going on:
Check out the MLK Festival at Margaret T. Hance Park 67 W. Culver St.in Phoenix. This starts at 10am and will have speakers as well as booths from around the community.
There will also be a parade in Mesa, starting at University Drive and Center street at 11am. The parade will end at the Mesa Arts Center, where there will be a festival in honor of Martin Luther King from 12pm-5pm. There will be informational booths, music, dance, food and a kids area with bounce houses. Our family will probably be there - so if you see us, stop and say Hi!
I'm Rachel - a mom, wife, and 'green' blogger at Small Steps On Our Journey. If you have any suggestions for future articles or any questions on this one, please contact me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or tweet me @rachelroland!
