✊ Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Third Monday in January Grades K–5
Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the third Monday in January, honors the civil rights leader who worked peacefully for equal rights for all people.
📅 Next dates
- Monday, January 19, 2026
- Monday, January 18, 2027
- Monday, January 17, 2028
📖 The story
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia. He was a minister who led peaceful protests against segregation — unfair laws that kept Black and white Americans apart.
In 1963 he gave his famous "I Have a Dream" speech in Washington, D.C., dreaming of a day when children "will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. The holiday was first observed in 1986, and many people now spend it as a "day of service."
✨ Traditions
- A national day of service
- Reading his speeches
- Marches and ceremonies
✂️ Activities
My Dream Cloud
- Draw a big cloud.
- Write "I have a dream that…" and finish the sentence about making the world fairer.
- Hang the class clouds together.
Day of Service
- Pick a helpful project: collect food, clean a park or make cards for a senior center.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day quiz
What was Dr. King’s famous speech called?
How did Dr. King protest?
Which prize did he win in 1964?
When is MLK Day?
💭 Let’s write
What is your dream for a fairer world?
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