I watched in awe as my eight-year-old son, Vincent recited the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.:

"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 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. . . 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!"

His class was presenting the book I Have a Dream to other third-grade classes at his elementary school. The children drew sticks to select parts for this "reader's theater" performance. Vincent was chosen to play the part of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. His lines were highlighted on his script. He practiced at school. At home, we read books about Dr. King's life and listened to recordings of Dr. King's famous speech. Vincent had the words and intonation down. More importantly, he believed in what he was reciting.

This year, as we honor the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we also mourn the death of Rosa Parks. On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white man on a public bus. She was arrested and fined $10, plus $4 in court fees. This simple act of defiance became a legendary moment in American history. It gave rise to the young, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who declared, "There comes a time when people get tired of being trampled over by the iron feet of oppression," as he urged for unity, dignity, and determination. It led to a resolution that no black person would ride the buses until seating was on a first come, first served basis and courtesy was guaranteed. And it motivated tens of thousands of citizens to walk to work until segregation on buses was declared unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court more than thirteen months after Rosa Park's brave act.

As we think about how to celebrate and honor the lives of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks, I encourage you to pay special attention to developing the character of children. All children need to be able to face adversity. All children deserve to live a meaningful life. And all children need to have the skills to make powerful and positive contributions to the world.

My son's portrayal of Martin Luther King Jr. was momentous for a number of reasons. Vincent came to live with us after experiencing abuse and neglect. He had lived in a group home and three foster homes. Eight of his front teeth had been pulled before he was two years old because of baby bottle syndrome and he was without front teeth for five years. When he first came to live with us his speech was unintelligible and doctors at the University of Minnesota wondered if he had fragile X syndrome because he was so low functioning and hyperactive.

Despite the trauma of his early years, Vincent is a resilient kid who has a heart of kindness and a belief in justice. He sees the glass as half full, and he cares passionately about righteousness. Still, he struggles to live out his values and often resorts to aggression. But just last month and for the first time in his life, he refrained from hitting a boy on the bus who was calling him names and had hit him first. How did we get here?

As I reflect on the past four years with Vincent, here are some things that have worked for our family.

1. Be a Role Model.
Children model their behavior after positive, effective people. Live a life full of purpose and meaning. Be hopeful and believe that change is possible. Identify a set of values and personal qualities to live by. Model those values and qualities and talk about them. Explain why these things are important to you. Talk about what seems unfair to you and about what you will do to change it. When your family makes decisions, incorporate your values into the decision-making process.

2. Build Character through Activities.
All children benefit from developing the human qualities of respectfulness, courage, determination, kindness, generosity, passion, idealism, forgiveness, open mindedness, and peacefulness. My family is lucky enough to live on a farm. Every day we care for the animals and the land. Caring for pets and gardening are wonderful ways to teach children to care about other living things. They also teach children to work together, to persevere, and to be thankful. In choosing to live on a farm, my family moved to a very small town that hasn't always been the most welcoming. From this experience, we've learned to persevere, to forgive, to focus on our dreams, and to turn the other cheek.

A wonderful book for school-age children that has character-building activities, true stories, and inspiring quotes is, What Do You Stand For? For Kids: A Guide To Building Character by Barbara A. Lewis, published by Free Spirit Publishing in 2005. Posters and a set of refrigerator magnets go along with the book. We have the magnets on our refrigerator at home, and they are wonderful spontaneous discussion starters. Another book I'm very excited about is I Can Make a Difference: A Treasury to Inspire Our Children by Marian Wright Edelman, and illustrated by Barry Moser. (Amistad 2005). I'm planning to use it in an early childhood education college course on leadership.

3. Read Character Building Books to Children.
Children can learn life lessons by reading about the lives of others. Here are some of my recommendations:
• A Picture Book of Rosa Parks by David A. Adler, and illustrated by Robert Casilla. Holiday House. 1995.
• Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by Doreen Rappaport. Jump at the Sun. 2001.
• My Brother Martin: A Sister Remembers Growing Up with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by Christine King Farris and illustrated by Chris Soentpiet. Simon & Schuster. 2003.
• Happy Birthday Martin Luther King by Jean Marzollo and illustrated by J. Brian Pinkney. Scholastic. 1993.
• I Have a Dream. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., with a foreward by Coretta Scott King. Scholastic. 1997.

4. Watch Character-Building Movies with Children Ages Seven and Older.
Watching character-building movies with school-age children can create opportunities for discussion. As you watch, talk about your feelings and the lessons for life that the stories hold for us. Here are some of the movies we have found instructive:
• Coach Carter,
• Remember the Titans,
• Glory,
• Amistad,
• Chariots of Fire,
• Patch Adams,
• Radio,
• Music of the Heart,
• Fly Away Home,
• Rosewood,
• Dreamkeeper,
• The Long Walk Home,
• Ruby Bridges,
• The Color of Courage,
• The Hiding Place, and
• Lakota Woman—Siege at Wounded Knee.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks were heroes who significantly shaped our country and changed history forever. Their work is not yet finished. We may not be destined to live such powerful lives, but we each can be examples of their strength and resolve. We can raise our children to embrace life in all its complexities. We can teach our children to have a dream, to be idealistic and full of hope, to persevere, to resist injustice, to courageously face adversity, to forgive, and, most of all, to love others.

Stacey York has worked with children and families for thirty years. She teaches child development at Minneapolis Community and Technical College and actively incorporates diversity and the voices of people of color into all of her courses. She worked alongside Louise Derman-Sparks in the Culturally Relevant Anti-Bias Leadership Project. She has written articles for Early Childhood Today and the Children's Television Workshop, and she served as a curriculum consultant for the public television series, The Puzzle Place. She is the author of Roots & Wings: Affirming Culture in Early Childhood Settings (Redleaf Press, 2003) and Big as Life: the Everyday Inclusive Curriculum Volumes 1 and 2 (Redleaf Press, 1998)

Redleaf Press is committed to publishing developmentally and culturally appropriate materials. Our high acquisition standards ensure that Redleaf Press resources are free from stereotypes, address issues of bias where appropriate, and actively contribute to welcoming all children in early childhood programs. Click here to learn more about Redleaf Press's acquisition standards. Click here to see the Redleaf Press line of diversity books, which includes the award-winning Lessons from Turtle Island: Native Curriculum in Early Childhood Classrooms and the revised and updated Early Childhood Classic, Roots & Wings: Affirming Culture in Early Childhood Settings.

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