Events
MLK Day By The Park Event
Monday, January 21st
11:00am - 2:00pm
Polo Cafe, 883 8th Avenue
The program is free and open to the public with an emphasis on children. We are looking to highlight the human struggle and equality of ALL people as Dr. King spoke about. Guest speakers, books, and participants will create a big mural.
MLK Day at BCM - I Have a Dream Celebration
Monday, January 21st
10:00am - 5:00pm
Brooklyn Children’s Museum, 145 Brooklyn Ave (At St Marks Avenue), Brooklyn, NY
A celebration of the life and legacy of civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. A full schedule of activities will soon be released on the Facebook event page.
Repair the World - Family Meal Packaging for Brooklyn Community
Monday, January 21st
10:00am - 11:30am
Repair the World NYC, 808 Nostrand Ave, Brooklyn, NY
Kids and parents from all over New York will come together to prepare and package about 3,750 meals per shift to be delivered throughout the Brooklyn community. See website for other MLK volunteer opportunities.
MLK Day of Service at Park Slope Jewish Center
Sunday, January 20th
10:30am - 2:00pm
Park Slope Jewish Center, 1320 8th Ave, Brooklyn, NY (corner 14th St.)
Projects and activities for ALL ages: cooking, soup-kit and PB&J assembly lines, book drive, clothing drive, advocacy, arts/crafts, knitting, etc., to benefit Brooklyn Legal Aid, the Brooklyn Family Justice Center, CHIPS, God's Love We Deliver, HIAS, and more. Stories and songs for preschoolers starting 10:30am.
BAM 33rd Annual Brooklyn Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Monday, January 21st
10:30am - 1:30 pm
Artists, activists, civic leaders, and community members come together in the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House to honor the legacy and share the dream of Dr. King. This event is free and sign-language-interpreted.
Peter Jay Sharp Building, 30 Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn, NY
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Storytelling and Music Event
Mon Jan 21, 2019
11:00am to 3:00pm
Grace Reformed Church, 1800 Bedford Avenue (corner of Bedford and Lincoln Rd.)
Free
This volunteer-run event includes a reading of Show Way by award-winning Brooklyn author Jacqueline Woodson about Underground Railroad, as well as music performances, and activities and crafts for children, and a complimentary lunch at noon. Greenlight Bookstore is a partner on this event.
Little Essentials MLK Family Volunteering Day
Monday, January 21st
10:00am - 12:00pm or 2:00pm - 4:00pm
Basement of Tribeca Pediatrics, 15 Warren St, New York, NY
Parents can volunteer at the Tribeca warehouse with their children (over 10 years old) or help sort and organize donations to go to needy families.
Due to limited space, 2 time slots are offered and each accommodates 10 people total.
Please use the link to fill out the volunteer form and your participation will be confirmed via email.
For questions, email Zakiyyah at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 646-850-3611.
Freedom Songs & Stories
Monday, January 21st
12:00pm - 4:00pm
Lefferts Historic House in Prospect Park, 101 East Dr, Brooklyn, NY
Masterful storyteller, Tammy Hall, will be telling diverse tales from around the world creating a rich, Martin Luther King Jr. Day experience for all.
(Free, but space is limited. The link to register can be found on the website)
Kid friendly movies:
- Our Friend, Martin (can be found on youtube)
- Ruby Bridges
- The Watsons go to Birmingham
- The Color of Friendship
- And the Children Shall Lead (Ages 9+)
- Hidden Figures (Ages 10+)
- Remember the Titans
- Selma
- Hairspray
- 42 (Biopic about Jackie Robinson)
Educational Videos on YouTube:
The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. - MLK Day! (Animated)
History of the Civil Rights Movement
The Story of Martin Luther King Jr. by Kid President
Civil Rights and the 1950s: Crash Course US History #39
As our own Nancy McDermott says in her PSP blog post The Arch of the Moral Universe: MLK Day:
Let us remember and believe that "The arch of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward Justice". . Let us remind ourselves and tell our children how much has changed --still changing since the days when Martin Luther King's speeches sent chills down the spine of a nation. Most of all, let us take heart in the fact that great and just ideas endure in history and that we can make them a reality. Martin Luther King understood this better than anyone.
