dr. martin luther king day jr. 2022

Dear Communities,

We’ve come so far since Dr. King was assassinated in 1968, and many cannot help but wonder what he would think if he had lived to see the advances we’ve made towards a more just society. But we still have more work to do to achieve Dr. King’s dream and ensure that every person has equitable opportunities for the American dream of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

We know there are still stark disparities for people of color in the educational system, income, household wealth, home ownership, the criminal justice system, and health outcomes. While all of these challenges impact the families we serve, our work at First Five Years & Beyond focuses on closing the opportunity gap in education so that all young people and their families have the chance to learn, grow, explore, and create a brilliant future for themselves. Our children can achieve anything they set their minds to – all they need is the opportunity and the support of caring adults.

We invite you to join us in this important work by taking action this Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and throughout the rest of the year. There are many things that you can do to further Dr. King’s legacy, work towards racial justice, and make our community a better place for all, such as mentoring a young person, advocating to local and state legislators for funding and policies that support racial justice, educating yourself on race and social justice issues, and contributing time to organizations fighting for racial equity.

Below are some resources to get you started:
Take Action

• Attend Seattle MLK Coalition’s events, including a rally and march on January 17th at 11am at Garfield High School (In the spirit of Dr. King, our rally program seeks to elevate and give power to black and minority art, music, and culture. We celebrate the intersection of our struggles with Music from the American Indian Movement. As Council Member Larry Gossett reflects on the past of the movement, our other speakers such as Aneela Afzali, Michelle Storms and others speak to the present and future. The Rally Program is split into two parts. The first portion takes place outside Garfield High School, following our Workshops and Opportunity Fair, at 11:00 AM. The March at will head out at 12:00 pm.)

• Attend the Northwest African American Museum’s virtual celebration on January 17th, 2022, which includes a children’s storytime. This takes place at 2 times virtually between 2-3:30pm and 7-8:30pm
• Attend the King Center’s virtual events
• Bring your child to one of the many family-friendly MLK Day local events
• Volunteer at United Way’s 2022 MLK Day of Service on January 18th, 2022
• Attend the virtual event Advancing Racial Equity: A Conversation with Clint Smith, hosted by United Way of King County, January 19th, 2022 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM PST
• Bring your child to a youth advocacy training on January 25th or January 27th, hosted by the Youth Development Strategy Table (YDEKC), and attend their advocacy kick-off event on January 31st, 2022!
• Encourage youth 13-18 years old to join the Youth Action Team by The King County Play Equity Coalition where kids can learn about making a difference in improving equity in sports. They will develop leadership, advocacy, and organizational skills. Youth will receive a stipend of $16/hr for 5 hours per month from January - June 2022.
• Participate in the annual Have a Heart for Kids advocacy day on January 24th, 2022, organized by Children’s Alliance, and learn about their 2022 legislative agenda

 Books for Children

• Books for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
• Black Joy in Picture Books
• Picture Books About Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for Young Children
• 10 Books Celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. for Early Readers
•  Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr’s Legacy With These Books for Ages 10 Up
• Talking with Kids About Race and Racism

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