In November 1983, President Reagan signed legislation creating Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, making it the third national holiday born in the twentieth century. The first was Veterans Day, created as a "prayer for peace" in 1926. Memorial Day came second in 1948. Honor King's memory with this online expedition into his life and achievements.
Fact Monster, published by Information Please, offers a variety of short articles on King, his holiday, the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, and the civil rights movement. Worth noting are the entries on civil disobedience, the King timeline, the King crossword, and the civil rights quiz.
The King Center, created in 1968 by King's widow, Coretta Scott King, is dedicated to the advancement of King's non-violent ideals. If your speakers are on, you will be treated to King's powerful oratory. "Recognize that he who is greatest among you, shall be a servant. That's the new definition of greatness." Best sections are The King Holiday and Dr. King's Legacy, which is a multimedia slide show pairing sound clips with a text commentary.
"Martin Luther King, Jr., Day of Service. Make it a day ON. Not a day OFF." King was a big proponent of people from all walks of life coming together to improve their community. This site encourages community service, with tips on finding an existing opportunity or starting your own. Best clicks are for those starting a MLK Day of Service project from scratch, with a downloadable toolkit that includes tips on publicity, recruiting, and volunteer management.
MLK Online was created in 1998 by Daniel Moss when he was just a high-school sophomore. It is well-written, and a great resource for school reports. It includes a King biography, a history of the holiday, transcripts of fifteen speeches, and a page of quotations. Best clicks are in Multimedia, where you'll find audio, video, and photos.
This Seattle Times special is my pick of the day. It covers King's life with the usual biography and timeline, but it shines in the Perspectives section, which includes Roadways Across America (a look at six streets bearing King's name), student essays, and class conversations between four third-grade classes. Finish your visit by trying the twelve-question civil rights quiz.
Buy Martin Luther King, Jr. Printable for $2.00
or try a FREE trial of the Printables ClubThe following links are either new discoveries or sites that didn't make it into my newspaper column because of space constraints. Enjoy!
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on the NetMartin Luther King, Jr. Papers Project | Martin Luther King, Jr. TimelineNational Park Service: Martin Luther King, Jr. Birth Home |
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