Honoring Dr. King
To honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. ‘s birth and his tremendous contributions to humanity, here are some resources to re-enliven our commitment to anti-racism and social justice as parents, teachers and community members.
We encourage you to join us in observing Dr. King Day as more than a one-off day of remembrance, and to carry his principles with you throughout the year. Keeping Dr. King (who might still be alive today if his life hadn’t been taken so soon, when he was 39) a relevant figure and influence in our everyday lives, prevents him from fading into the black and white background of history with a single well-known speech.
Honoring Dr. King at BWS
One way we keep Dr. King’s legacy alive in our school community is with the BWS STAR Code. Unique to our school, the STAR Code was created based on Dr. King’s work by BWS teachers and students, in consultation with psychologist Steve Hoff. The STAR Code is prominently displayed throughout the school. Teachers and administrators practice these values with our students from Early Childhood through Eighth Grade. They use this visual reminder to work through social and behavioral challenges in the classrooms, or proactively, in social-emotional talking circles or schoolwide assemblies. We encourage parents and caregivers to post and use the same teaching tool at home.
Learning from Dr. King at Home
We hope you’ll join us in reading Dr. King’s last book, Where Do We Go From Here? and the powerful Letter From a Birmingham Jail. Visit The King Center (founded by Coretta Scott King) for a schedule of virtual nonviolence training and other information on making a difference in King’s name. You can also virtually explore the Martin Luther King Jr. Research Institute at Stanford, which has a wealth of archives of Dr. King’s speeches, work and life.
Sharing Dr. King’s Legacy with Little Ones
For your little ones, we suggest keeping up with The Conscious Kid. Early Childhood Teachers at our school and at WECAN (the Waldorf Early Childhood Association of North America) use it frequently as a resource that informs both teaching and parenting.
And click here for children’s literature resources, including books by Black authors and books addressing conversations on race. (There are preschool-appropriate books on these lists; you will see age range listed when you click on each book.)
As Early Childhood teachers, we strive to keep Dr. King in our own consciousness, both in our daily work and in the way we live. As we teach your children and raise our own, we remember Dr. King’s selflessness, his love for his family, his own children, his joy, his belief in change and his persistence. We hope that our dear families in the BWS learning community are inspired to do the same.
Peace on Reverend Dr. King’s Day.
–BWS Early Childhood Teachers
