This Monday, January 16 is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. It’s a great time to teach children not only about the activist’s life but about civil rights in general and the importance of giving back to your community. This week, we’ve gathered the top family-friendly events to honor the holiday in major cities, as well as books to read with children and our favorite charities to give to year-round.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day Events for Families
Every year, New York City听Department of Parks & Recreation hosts a series of events in commemoration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. This weekend, they are hosting family art project workshops and on Monday, they have several initiatives going on, including gardening, tree care, and coastal cleanup. For other great volunteer opportunities, both in Manhattan and in the boroughs, look at听.听In Los Angeles, families can honor the holiday by attending King Day at the听California African American Museum. The event runs all day and will include learning opportunities, live music, food trucks, family activities, and more.听Families in Miami can enjoy the annual parade which covers eight miles of the city and follows听the path听that Dr. King traveled during his visits to the city.听The parade finishes near听Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park, where there will be an all-day (12pm-5pm) family festival, including a variety of live music, a craft marketplace, theatrical performances, art exhibitions, children’s activities, educational games, and more. Food trucks will be highlighting creole dishes, as well as听traditional Caribbean and African cuisine.听San Franciscans can register for听MLK2023 Commemorative Passes to access round-trip transportation free of charge to many MLK events taking place on Monday. For those in Marin, a similar program is run on the ferries. Take the free rides to the MLK2023 March and Yerba Buena Gardens, where they’ll be a live music festival, as well as other festivities. You’ll find the full lineup for the day听.
Children’s Books on Martin Luther King Jr.听
Don’t Miss in Washington, D.C.听
听– A Michelin-starred restaurant serving seasonal cuisine, most of which is cooked over an open fire– Historic Mini Golf venue listed on the National Register of Historic Places – Luxury historic hotel with lovely onsite dining.
Our Recommended Charities: Where To Volunteer or Donate听
We’ve shared these before but these are our go-to favorite charities during the holiday season – and year-round.
Feeding America听works to provide nourishing food for the nearly 50 million听Americans, including 17 million children,听who do not have enough to eat on a regular basis.听The Trussell Trust听supports a vast network of food banks and provides听emergency food and support to people in听poverty听in the UK.听
Restore NYC’s website states听that an estimated听403,000 people听are currently being trafficked in the United States and that听New York City is one of the听largest destinations听for trafficked women in the country. Restore helps by working to end sex trafficking in New York and by assisting survivors with establishing听healthy and sustainable lives.听Resolve听works to assist with and address issues related to infertility, including insurance coverage, adoption, laws surrounding IVF treatments, and helping the听LGBTQ+ community with family building options.听听The Jewish National Fund听offers several ways to help, from financial donations to planting trees to creating memorial pages for loved ones to volunteering.听听Room to Grow听is a NYC- based听charity听that supports families听by providing parents with education, community, and material goods for the first three years of their child’s life to help give them a successful start.听
Project Sweet Peas听provides support to families of premature or sick infants and to those who have been affected by pregnancy and infant loss.听
Dysautonomia International听aims to improve the lives of individuals living with autonomic nervous system disorders through research, physician education, public awareness, and patient empowerment programs.听