#ReclaimMLK2017!: Let’s Honor Him with Words and Action
I’m gearing up for a week of action: family-friendly MLK teach-ins, marches, parent education and organizing. Being a “good mom” means modeling how to be a good person. That means speaking up for yourself and others.
No… MLK was NOT a Magical Negro
If you’ve been following my blog, you know I’m became pretty passionate about honoring the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life. If the #BlackLivesMatter movement has taught us anything, we need to stand up and be counted… As far as I’m concerned, all these white-washed MLK “peace dove” activities, and #AllLivesMatter “color-blind” BS has GOT. TO. GO.
In case you’re wondering, I’m not the only Black person who’s noticed the need to #ReclaimMLK day. It’s time to take King’s legacy back from corporate marketers and “progressive” racists. In case you weren’t listening, Dr. King didn’t have a dream about selling you more crap, and he didn’t go through the trouble of climbing proverbial mountain tops so White folks could use his words to tell Black folks to shut up and sit down. (Truth be told, MLK was not a magical negro. He was actually a real person, who organized protests, got sh*t done and pissed people off from time to time.)
If MLK were here today…
This year, celebrating and honoring MLK’s life and legacy seems more important than ever before. Fortunately, for those of us lucky enough to live in SF, there is so much to do. So much so, it can be difficult for parents to know which activities are age appropriate.
With that in mind, I’ve put together family-friendly activities to celebrate and honor Dr. King’s legacy of standing up and speaking out in developmentally and family-friendly ways. As Audre Lorde said: “Your silence will not protect you”. Now more than ever we must stand up and speak up for Black Lives, LGBT rights, women’s reproductive freedom, freedom from islamophobia and xenophobia… the list goes on…
Whether it’s doing family art (see MOAD below), watching a movie to celebrate #blackexcellence in STEM (Hidden Figures), or protesting discrimination (Dump Trump march), it’s time to #ReclaimMLK day and honor Dr. Kings life and legacy with words and action!
Ways to #ReclaimMLK in 2017!
I’ve organized events for ALL families and also listed events for my peeps! Props to the SFUSD African-American Achievement and Leadership Initiative (AAALI)