Martin Luther King Jr. Day Movies for Kids

In celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. and remembrance of the Civil Rights Movement, we’ve compiled some of the best movies for the occasion. Whether you’re looking for a way to celebrate the inspirational life of Martin Luther King Jr. with your kids or looking for a way to start a deeper conversation about race and civil rights history, this list can help get you started.

Without further delay, here are some great conversation-starting movies for Martin Luther King Jr. Day:

An American Girl Story – Melody 1963: Love Has to Win (2016)

An American Girl Story – Melody 1963: Love Has to Win is an Amazon Prime original film and a great choice to watch on Martin Luther King Jr. Day or to open a discussion on the Civil Rights Moment any time of the year. The film takes place in Detroit, Michigan during the Civil Rights Movement and examines the life of young Melody Ellison, a creative African-American girl. Throughout the film, Melody faces discrimination and racial inequality, ultimately learning to overcome these challenges using her creativity in clothing design.

Dancing in the Light: The Janet Collins Story (2015)

This film is by far the shortest on the list, running a total of seventeen minutes.This makes it a perfect option for those with busy schedules who still want to have a conversation about civil rights. The film tells the true story of Janet Collins, whose determination led to her becoming the first African American ballerina to perform at the Metropolitan Opera House. Janet Collins lived during the time of Jim Crow, a racial caste system that discriminated against African Americans. A mixed media effort, Dancing in the Light: The Janet Collins Story combines live action sequences of a modern dance studio and an animated short based on the illustrated book. Chris Rock narrates the story.  Being animated and tame, this film is a safe start to a very serious subject.

March On! The Day My Brother Martin Changed the World (2010)

Martin Luther King Jr.’s sister, Christine King Farris, recounts her experience surrounding the March on Washington. The film  proves to be a touching tribute to the inspirational speech, “I Have a Dream”, the march on Washing, D.C., and the famous civil rights movement leader. March On! The Day My Brother Martin Changed the World is a film adaptation of the book by the same name. Both the film and book offer an interesting perspective on the series of historic events and provide a great place to begin an important conversation about the Civil Rights Movement and continuing discrimination and inequality.

Martin’s Big Words (2005)

Like Dancing in the Light: The Janet Collins Story and March On! The Day My Brother Martin Changed the World, Martin’s Big Words is a film adaptation of a book–in truth it is more of slow panning of the illustrated book with narration, but a film none-the-less. The filmed book reading is a series of three stories. One segment, “Martin’s Big Words,” is narrated by Michael Clarke Duncan and brings insight to Martin Luther King Jr. by means of his inspiring quotes. The second segment, titled “John Henry,” is narrated by Samuel L. Jackson and recounts a contest in which an attempt to tunnel through West Virginia’s Allegheny Mountains was made. The third segment, “Seven Candles for Kwanzaa,” explores the distinctive African-American holiday of Kwanzaa and is narrated by Alfre Woodard.

Our Friend, Martin (1999)

1999 proves again and again to be a golden year for animation and Our Friend, Martin is no exception to that theory. Though it was a direct-to-video film, Our Friend, Martin is an engaging addition to the list. Our Friend, Martin is an educational film about both Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement and follows Miles, a close-to-failing and apathetic teenager student who learns the importance of Martin Lurther King Jr.’s contribution to the Civil Rights Movement, as well as the movment as a whole, when he (Miles) and some classmates are sent back in time several times and meet King himself. The film can be watched for free on YouTube. Our Friend, Martin is our top pick for the films on the list. There are plenty more great films to be watched. These were just a few to get you started. Happy watching and learning!