Yes, I am Canadian. But when I was asked to write a biography of Martin Luther King, Jr. for Grade 3 – 5 students, I jumped at the opportunity. The 50s and 60s were decades of dissention and struggle in the south. I lived in Texas in the late 60s, and though I was very young, I have one vivid memory: my mother pulled me close as we watched a rusty, noisy pick up cruise slowly down our street, the African American men standing in the box watching us silently. The significance of that memory would not become apparent to me for a decade or more, and now it makes me wonder. Were there signs of segregation in our community that I failed to understand as a child? I’m disappointed that I remember nothing else about this important time. The research for the book was fascinating, and of course not all of it could be used in a children’s resource.
Here is a some great footage of the March on Washington, on August 28, 1963.
And if you’d like a little challenge, here’s a quiz about Martin Luther King, Jr.. Have fun and let me know how well you do!
Goodreads Quiz
