Reflections on Martin Luther King Jr.

As I graded papers today, I was struck most by the notes my fourth graders took on an animated movie about Martin Luther King Jr. While it would be impossible to encompass the work of Martin Luther King Jr. in one hour, their notes show that his message was very clear. The following sentiments are the ones that showed up, in some version, repeatedly in my students notes:
~Anyone can make a difference in the world.
~He was always doing good things for other people
~He wanted everyone to be friends.
~He believed in non-violent protests.
~He changed the world.
There is so much to say about who Martin Luther King Jr. was, the impact that he made on the world, and the work that is still left to do. But, these five ideas, noted time after time, are powerful components of that conversation.  They are also a great place to start if we want to change our world.