MLK92 The Time Is Now!
As you prepare to join us in remembrance and celebration of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s 92nd birthday, please be advised and abide by these COVID 19 guidelines.
Wear your mask unless eating/drinking
Do not share megaphones
Maintain 6 feet apart when possible
If you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms or anything similar, please refrain from attending.
We cannot help but reflect on last years’ biggest accomplishment - with our community, we've made history with the Don't Shoot Portland v. City of Portland lawsuit. None of what has been achieved would’ve been possible without the support of those who believe in our work.
“In bringing this case, DSP has brought and amplified the voice of anti-racist protestors into a legal space which has historically excluded such voices. Through this litigation, DSP has brought additional scrutiny to police use of excessive force against protestors, and held the police accountable. DSP’s legal team continues to fight in court, inspired and supported by on the ground activists, in furtherance of a vision of community that is safe and welcoming to all who believe in love and justice.” - Ashlee Albies, Don’t Shoot Portland Attorney
Our next hearing is February 9, 2021. We also want to give special thanks to SITU NYC who published a detailed video reconstruction of the excessive force carried out by police in response to Black Lives Matter protestors - this footage became essential evidence in our court litigation.
Due to COVID-19, the programming provided to families and youth have been halted, but it didn’t stop us from curating a collection of notable books that will be gifted to our comrades whov’e signed up to participate in activities with the Children’s Art and Social Justice Council. Social change matters and we believe that learning to become a good reader will lead you to research ways to dismantle unjust systems. Maybe you will even be inspired to write your own stories. Just like youth voices, Black Books Matter.
Here is our 2021 short list:
“Life Doesn’t Frighten Me” by Maya Angelou, with illustrations from Jean-Michel Basquiat
“Good Night Martin Luther King Jr” by Adam Gamble and Mark Jasper
“Long Way Down” by Jason Reynolds, illustrated by Danica Novgorodoff
“The Black Kids” by Christina Hammonds Reed
“This is My America” by Kim Johnson
“We Came to America” by Faith Ringgold
“Story Painter: The life of Jacob Lawrence” by John Duggleby
“Becoming Muhammad Ali” by James Patterson and Kwame Alexander
“Black Futures” curated & edited by Kimberly Drew and Jenna Wortham
“Trespass: History of Uncommissioned Urban Art” by Carlo McCormick
“Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents” by Isabel Wilkerson
“Faces and Phases” by Zanele Muholi
“I, Too, Am America” by Langston Hughes, illustrated by Bryan Collier
“Between the World and Me” by Ta-Nehisi Coates
“The Nickel Boys” by Colson Whitehead
“I Am Rosa Parks” by Rosa Parks and Jim Haskins, illustrated by Wil Clay
“Smash It!” by Francina Simone
“The Black Flamingo” by Dean Atta
“Beloved” by Toni Morrison
“Child of the Dream” by Sharon Robinson
“These Hands” by Hope Lynn Price, illustrated by Bryan Collier
“Parker Looks Up: An Extraordinary Moment” by Jessica Curry and Parker Curry
“One of the Good Ones” by Maritza Moulite
“Sulwe” by Lupita Nyong’o
“Thurgood” by Jonah Winter, illustrated by Bryan Collier
“Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History” by Vashti Harrison,
“Who Was Martin Luther King Jr?” by Lisbeth Kaiser, illustrated by Stanley Chow
“The Undefeated” by Kwame Alexander, Kadir Nelson
“Bunheads” by Misty Copeland
“Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut” by Derrick Barnes
“Rosa” by Nikki Giovanni
“Henry’s Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad” by Ellen Levine, Kadir Nelson
“Just Mercy” by Bryan Stevenson
“The Water Dancer” by Ta-Nehisi Coates
“All Boys Aren’t Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto” by George M. Johnson
“Concrete Rose” by Angie Thomas
“I Am Every Good Thing” by Derrick Barnes, Gordon C. James
“Mae Among The Stars” by Roda Ahmed
“Antiracist Baby” by Ibram X.Kendi, illustrated by Ashley Lukashevsky
“Martin Rising: Requiem For A King” by Andrea Davis Pinkney and Brian Pinkney
“Let the Children March” by Monica Clark-Robinson, illustrated by Frank Morrison
“Don’t Touch My Hair” by Sharee Miller
“M Is For Melanin: A Celebration of The Black Child” by Tiffany Rose
We’d like to acknowledge that while our registration for the Children’s Art and Social Justice Council is closed, we are allowing youth activists who signed up with DSP to get first priority on our Reclaim MLK tote bags. We will have hundreds of shirts, brand new art supplies, educational tools and more to give out, free! We appreciate the hard work put in by youth leaders to create social change by making impacts in their community. Thank you all for being part of our programming and making everything we do possible.
