“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
There are few people in history as notable as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and since many schools and offices are off to honor him on January 17, 2022, I hope you all spend the day living out his legacy with kindness, service, or learning.
Lucky for us, there is no shortage of great things happening, including several FREE events.
Get your kiddos thinking critically at one of these great local events or by doing an activity at home.
2022 In-Person MLK Day Events in Southeast Michigan
Search for a volunteer opportunity near you to honor Dr. King.
Head to the Detroit Historical Museum to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with the annual “MLK, Jr. Day: Give Us the Ballot” event. Visitors can participate in a voter registration project for kids, complete with ‘mock’ voter registration cards and receive MLK worksheets and coloring pages. The inspiring day will also include drop-in guided tours of Detroit 67: Perspectives and performances by Aleca Gleser and 3D Dance Troupe. The event will conclude with cupcakes and a sing-along to Stevie Wonder’s “Happy Birthday.” Pre-registration is sold out, but limited spots will be available via walk-in.
Head to Flint for the annual Flint MLK Jr. Celebration. The Flint Institute of Arts, in collaboration with the Flint Public Library, celebrates the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a full day of FREE activities. The FIA galleries open at 10 a.m., with all activities free and open to the public.
Visit the Flint Children’s Museum. This family-friendly museum will have special activities themed around the civil rights movement from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Visit Cranbrook Institute of Science in Bloomfield Hills. Visit the Institute from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. FREE thanks to the Masco Corporation. Masks required.
Travel to Royal Oak for a ceremony and freedom walk. The commemoration, “A Day On, Not a Day Off,” will begin with a virtual presentation hosted on the Berkley Schools and Royal Oak Schools Facebook pages at 9:30 a.m. Starting at 10:30 a.m., the community is invited to gather at Royal Oak Middle School, for a freedom walk in the ROMS neighborhood as well as a donation drive. The first 200 guests will receive an event shirt. All ages and members of the community are invited to attend.
Honor Dr. King by painting an inspiring piece of art with the kids. Check out this neat painting you can create together at Painting With A Twist in Ferndale. Recommended for ages 7 and up.
Enjoy FREE Admission to The Henry Ford for MLK Day {Dearborn} — Visit THF from 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. and celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The day includes free admission and free parking.
Sitting inside the infamous Rosa Parks bus inside The Henry Ford is the perfect catalyst for discussing history and the Civil Rights era.
Another thing I wanted to highlight is the Black History 101 Mobile Museum that is coming to Howell, Michigan for FREE next weekend. Founded by Dr. Khalid el-Hakim, the Black History 101 Mobile Museum is an award winning collection of over 10,000 original artifacts of Black memorabilia dating from the trans-Atlantic slave trade era to hip-hop culture. This sounds like an amazing opportunity for families to learn about the history of our nation! It’s happening at Cleary University January 29 – February 1, 2022.
2022 Virtual MLK Day Events in Southeast Michigan
Listen to MLK’s speeches thanks to this list of recorded speeches from the Ann Arbor Public Library — Celebrate Dr. King’s legacy by watching videos of his speeches.
Check out virtual presentations from the Charles H. Wright Museum in Detroit all day long — Check out the list of happenings here. Tons of great content to tune into!
Virtually Celebrate Unity with the Novi Public Library. Join Zoom for an inspirational celebration of the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Enjoy music, speakers, and presentations on this day of unity and service. Register at www.novilibrary.org to receive the link to the program.
Attend virtual events tailored to children honoring Dr. King with University of Michigan. UofM has a big list of events happening all day. Check out virtual presentations geared specifically toward certain age groups here.
Join Michigan State University for conversations around ‘Chaos or Community’ throughout the day and week. A list of events can be found here.
Ways To Honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. At-Home:
- Visit the library or YouTube for a read-aloud. There are so many amazing books highlighting Dr. King’s work. One of my absolute favorite books about Dr. King to inspire young readers {Amazon affiliate link} Here is another great list of book ideas for kids.
- Put together a list of inexpensive random acts of kindness to do, and leave a note saying it’s to honor MLK Day
- As a family, watch a movie about the Civil Rights Movement and help answer any questions your children have
- Print off one of these coloring pages highlighting Dr. King’s work for little ones to color
- Discuss and have your children write down the dreams they have for our world
- Create an easy peace sign craft with finger paint and a paper plate
How do you celebrate MLK Day in your home?
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