Honoring Martin Luther King Jr. Day in Lake Country

Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 2025 is Monday, January 20. The holiday is celebrated on the third Monday in January to commemorate the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.( MLK Jr.). He was born Michael King Jr., but his father changed his name when we was 5 years old after a trip to Germany. His actual birthday is January 15, 1929. He would be 96 years old today.

Martin Luther King Jr. is known today for being an activist for civil rights. He was imprisoned many times and his “I have a dream” speech is familiar in most American households. He was ultimately assassinated in 1968, and the US government established this holiday in 1983.

Excerpt from the “I have a dream” speech, August 28, 1963 from the March on Washington:

…And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today!
I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of “interposition” and “nullification” — one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.
I have a dream today!…

Learn more about Martin Luther King Jr. from The King Center and ways to be involved.

If you have time, please watch the two videos below with your family. The first is the actual “I have a dream speech” in its entirety. The second video is a summary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life work to share with your younger children.

Honoring MLK Jr. Day in Lake Country

Many schools in the area have off on MLK Jr. Day. Because this is a federal holiday all banks and post offices will be closed, too. If your children are off school, they can spend the day researching and learning more about Martin Luther King Jr. and the causes he fought for for civil rights, equity (which is different from equality), and social justice. The *internet and books {Amazon Affiliate link} are great places to research, and there are local community events occurring, too. Some of the following events are geared toward adults, while others are geared toward children and families. We included the adult only programs, because we take a life-long learning approach to life and because it is important for parents to have a better grasp on understanding issues so they can properly discuss them age appropriately with their children.

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Local MLK Jr. Events in the Lake Country Area:

Attend the 41st annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration
- - January 20, 2025
  - Held at the Marcus Performing Arts Center in Milwaukee
  - Theme: WHAT ARE YOU DOING FOR OTHERS?
  - Details on their website.
Register and attend the virtual event through the Metropolitan Milwaukee YMCA: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration
- - Monday, January 20 from 7:00 am to 9:30 am.
  - Held at the Potawatomi Casino Hotel Event Center in Milwaukee
  - Details on their website.
MLK Jr. Storytime
1. - January 20 from 10 am to 2 pm
  - Held at the Waukesha Library
  - Storytime at 10:00 AM, followed by a variety of activities honoring this American leader and promoting peace and unity.
Participate in one of the 8 events by Kids Impact Community
- - January 8 through February 2, 2025
  - Some events require preregistration and are full
  - Tap the link above for all the details on each event and activity.
Unfolding Generosity Clothing Sort at Hope Center (two opportunities).
- - Wednesday, January 9, 2025
  - Wednesday, January 22, 2025
  - Held at the Hope Center in Waukesha
  - Details on their website.
Attend a Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration through Waukesha County Technical College
- - January 21, 2025 from 10:30 am to 1:00 pm
  - This is geared for adults, age 18 and up
  - Held at the Anthony J. Natalizio Center in Milwaukee
  - Detail on their website.
Register and attend a number of events through the United Way of Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha County (Ages 18 and up)
- - See the featured opportunities and details on their website.
  - Some events and opportunities are already full for 2025.
Attend the King Day Celebration at King Center
- - January 20th from Noon to 1:00 pm
  - The Dr. Martin Luther King Community Center, 1531 W Vliet St, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53205
  - Details on their website under “special events”.
  - “Each year, we celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with an event of music, dance, spoken work, and more. The presentation is at the King Center auditorium.”

If your schedule does not allow you to attend one of the events above, there are other ways to honor and remember the work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Just starting the conversation in your home with your family is step one. If you don’t know where to start the conversation, having books on hand (I prefer physical books over e-books) is a great way to naturally begin a conversation. Books breed questions. Questions breed knowledge. The title of the book or images can lead children to ask questions and from questions, a healthy conversation of our history and how we got to where we are today collectively. If you don’t have books on hand, there are no shortage of current events from the past year to start a conversation. Remember to keep conversations age and child appropriate. Parents, you know your child best.

Additional at home idea: have an at home birthday celebration for MLK and talk about the civil rights movement, listen to traditional music, light a candle on a birthday cake.

Find age appropriate resources.

Find local parenting support resources.

*Because this is a federal holiday all banks and post offices will be closed.

This article and the events listed were compiled by Ashley Hoover. You can read more about Ashley on our ABOUT PAGE.