When a day is as special and as powerful as Martin Luther King Day, it deserves a blog post that is equally special and powerful. The formal name of this important day is actually Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Day of Service, and it is coming up on Monday, January 20th this year. Dr. King was dedicated to serving as a voice for others and fighting for what is right. While much time has passed since Dr. King gave his incredible “I Have a Dream” speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C., many of the same issues still continue today, telling us all that there is still more to do, more that we each must do—to make this world a better place.
Dream of Better, Make It Happen
Because one of the four strands of the FUTURES: Financially Literate Kids for a Financially Literate Society™ is Entrepreneurship, and many entrepreneurial endeavors begin with dreams, this post focuses on how we can all help our dreams for a better world to become real.
Many entrepreneurs take great risks and commit to their endeavors with extreme passion in order to make a difference. One definition of an entrepreneur is someone who looks at things differently, challenges the status quo, and deeply believes that he or she can do it better or differently. This description defines much of what Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. accomplished.
That’s why in this blog post, we take a different sort of look at both Dr. King’s creative vision as well as how the many successful entrepreneurs weave together their passions and their desire to be of service to others, helping to create bigger and better FUTURES for all. We hope you will become inspired to use your entrepreneurial talents, passion and compassion, and in some cases, physical strength to “be of service” to others. This post is filled with ideas.
A Quarter of a Century!
This Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service marks the 25th anniversary to celebrate this Civil Rights leader’s life and the long-lasting legacy that we have been fortunate enough to receive. According to the Corporation for National and Community Service, we all need to think of this day as “a day on, not a day off.” In fact, did you know that MLK Day is the only federal holiday that’s officially designated as a national day of service? The goal is to provide an opportunity, time, and encouragement to Americans to do what they can, offer their talents, and step up in order to improve their communities. Entrepreneurs can play key roles in these efforts—and not simply on this special day. Dr. King devoted his entire life to service; by focusing our attention on service for this one day, the hope is that these efforts will continue—everyday.
The Dream Speech We Almost Didn’t Hear!
This example shows that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was indeed, a risk-taker, a true entrepreneurial quality. It was on August 28, 1963 that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., gave his famous “I Have A Dream” speech as part of the March on Washington. In the months leading up to this march, many important events took place, causing reactions and chain reactions filled with extreme mounting tensions. In June, President John F. Kennedy called for a drive for more civil rights on national television—on the very same night that NAACP leader Medgar Evers was murdered in Mississippi. This was the catalyst for the civil rights march.
The speech was delivered to approximately 250,000 people who came to Washington, D.C., from all across the country to march for civil rights. Dr. King’s speech was part of this incredible day, but did you know that we almost missed hearing this speech for two reasons?
First, a very expensive sound system was installed specifically to be sure attendees could hear the events at the Lincoln Memorial. Remember in 1963, technology was nothing like it is today. After the sound system was installed, according to many sources, the equipment was said to have been deliberately damaged just before the speeches began. Once this was discovered, Attorney General Robert Kennedy quickly enlisted the Army Corps of Engineers to work to fix the system.
It’s the Gospel Truth!
The second reason we almost didn’t hear this part of Dr. King’s prepared speech is because, according to those close to Dr. King, “I Have a Dream” actually wasn’t part of the speech he’d written and had planned to deliver at this march. Mahalia Jackson, the famous gospel singer and musical legend, had frequently accompanied Dr. King to events and rallies where she would perform. It’s been reported that when he felt most discouraged, Dr. King would even call Jackson on the phone just to hear her sing. It was because of Mahalia Jackson that Dr. King put aside his notes and began to speak of his dream that day. She was seated within earshot of Dr. King and as he read his speech, she spoke out loud, urging Dr. King, then and there, to “Tell them about the dream, Martin. Tell them about the dream.”
Those words started the transformation from the prepared notes Dr. King had written to the messages from his heart, the messages we still hold fast to today. The original written speech was given by Dr. King to George Raveling, a college basketball player from Villanova, who was there that day to serve as one of King’s bodyguards. It’s said that Raveling has kept the speech safely locked away all these years.
What Dreams Can You Act Upon?
As for the rest of us? We’ll need to be content to relive these words and moments by reading and listening to the speech. Click on the link from the National Archives to read the speech and click on the YouTube link below to hear an audio recording of Dr. King’s I Have a Dream speech:
As you listen to these compelling words, consider your dreams for a bigger, better FUTURE for those in your school, family, and community. Once you focus on your dream, start to put it into action—just one action can make a difference. What single action can you take, starting on Monday, to help those in your community? There are many organized events scheduled for this day and a quick search should give you lots to choose from near you.
Entrepreneurs in Service
When you join a group of volunteers in your community, you’re likely to discover that some of the people around you are getting things done and making things happen—more than others. Check out those people who are carrying the wood, hanging the signs, serving food, and setting up all the crowdsourcing donation accounts on computers. Chances are, they also happen to be entrepreneurs, eager to give back and apply their talents to the causes in their communities. What terrific role models for your kids to meet, too!
If there are no planned events near you, tap into your inner-entrepreneur, create your own, and invite others to join you. Chances are, there are others looking to be part of something, too. By inviting others, you’ll likely increase your mission’s chances for success.
Here are just a few ideas:
Hold a bake sale with your kids.
Volunteer to work at a soup kitchen.
Help build or repair a home.
Look in your neighborhood for ideas and ask around. You’re likely to discover many projects in need of starting.
Your Entrepreneurial FUTURE
As you focus on discovering and applying your own entrepreneurial energy on this upcoming day of service, think about how your family, students, and those around you can all benefit from acquiring a stronger awareness of the tenets of entrepreneurship and all four of the financial literacy strands of learning. All entrepreneurs benefit from knowledge.
From Personal Finance and Economics to Entrepreneurship and Investing, FUTURES: Financially Literate Kids for a Financially Literate Society™ is the groundbreaking Financial Literacy Program that empowers students BEFORE High School—to achieve their best success AFTER High School. Ariel Education Initiative is founded upon the belief that Financial Literacy is a critical 21st-century skill and is vital to our kids, our society, and our future. That’s why AEI developed FUTURES: Financially Literate Kids for a Financially Literate Society™ and that is also why this program is 100% free.
The goal of FUTURES is to provide a robust financial education program for kids and budding entrepreneurs and investors of all ages—in school and far beyond. Whether it be learning to invest in securities, such as stocks, bonds, and mutual funds, the fundamentals of becoming an entrepreneur or conducting a cost/benefit analysis, this program offers learners the chance to shape their own point of view that will empower them to make wise money choices—long into their futures.
The FUTURES program’s detailed Entrepreneurship strand covers much more than just Entrepreneurship; it covers a wealth of powerful future-focused leadership concepts for kids and adults. From business startup and financing, flow of money, public and private corporations, target markets and the always important social responsibility, readers are able to experience and visualize themselves as entrepreneurial leaders.
With the help of FUTURES easy-to-use worksheets and games, you’ll all unlock a richer grasp of what it takes to start and run a business. Many kids and adults discover their own entrepreneurial passions and are able to shape these glimmers of passions into future ideas. What ideas are inspiring you these days? What are YOUR big dreams?
In this strand of FUTURES, you will also explore the various parts of building and running a successful business, learn about how franchises work, discover the difference between investing in a startup business versus a franchise, and investing in a business and running that same business every single day (and night!). You will also learn about how to make financing decisions and become a more worthy candidate for credit.
Beyond the Program, Into the World
The FUTURES program simplifies and deconstructs complicated, intricate Financial Literacy concepts to make them relevant and easier to understand for students. With the full FUTURES program at your fingertips, you and your kids will better understand the complicated world of finance AND develop their own personal stake in it. Created by teachers for teachers, this proven educational program is FREE and readily available to districts, schools, teachers, coaches, counselors, and families, too!
As Dr. King would have no doubt supported, the FUTURES program encourages learners to develop and form their own point of view of finance and investing, while honing their critical thinking skills as they progress through the depth and breadth of the four FUTURES strands with their 29 stand-alone modular sections.
Further, real-time, real-world, relevant connections drive kids’ interest and create effective links between academic content and the business world. This unique multi-disciplinary approach elevates learning, allowing educators, school districts, and families and community centers to help prepare tomorrow’s leaders—today—so they can compete in and become strong leaders of our ever-changing global marketplace—in their futures.
As you consider how you will honor Dr. King’s memory and champion his legacy on this upcoming day of service, take some time to download any or all of the 29 sections or modules from FUTURES. The information within this program can help you and your children to begin to transform a single day of service into a lifetime of commitment to service.