Martin Luther King holiday is almost here!

As host serve up a warm and welcoming demeanor, open to new ideas and perspectives. Reflect joy for the chance to gather your guests. Help all guests feel heard. Provide nourishment with a healthy and fresh menu of comfort food prepared and sprinkled with love.

Here’s a sample conversational framework for gathering around the table on this significant day.

Appetizer – Round #1 (Gain basic knowledge and understanding)

• Why do we celebrate MLK on the third Monday of January?
• Which president signed the holiday into law?
• What year was it first observed?
• Where were you at the time?
• What were the objections to passing the MLK holiday?
• What are two other official holidays honoring other citizens?
• How did Stevie Wonder propel the passing of legislation?

Main Entrée – Round #2 (Explore meaning and impact of civil rights)

• What changed in America because of Martin Luther King? (https://www.quora.com/What-changed-in-America-because-of-Martin-Luther-King)
• What do you know about the Civil Rights Movement?
• What year was the Civil Rights Act passed?
• How might progress on civil rights be measured?
• Have you experienced discrimination? How did you manage the experience?
• If you could honor another historic figure with a holiday, who would it be?

Dessert – Round #3 (Live life now)

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”*                               -Martin Luther King, J. “I Have a Dream”

• What won’t you be silent about?
• How do you define freedom?
• How might you be peacefully disobedient in 2016 (seriously and not seriously)?

This is the food I’m serving this weekend! A few recipe favorites:

• Smoked Salmon on Chips (by Martha Stewart)
• Lentil Soup Recipe (by Weekly Greens and Food52) with yummy variations
• A green salad with yummy vinaigrette (by Kirstin Uhrenholdt, thefamilydinnerbook.com)
• Apple Galette with vanilla ice cream (by MyRecipes.com)

For added inspiration and or as an alternative framework, read “I Have A Dream” to your guests and reflect on three quotes from the speech, one per each course.   Here’s the text (from “Huffington Post”) : http://www.ibtimes.com/mlk-i-have-dream-read-famous-lines-quotes-full-text-martin-luther-kings-speech-video-2073080

Thank you, America!

 

 

Connect with me: atableintime@gmail.com

Buy A Table In Time: Host a Gathering that Feeds the Mind, Body and Soul: http://www.atableintime.com

*― Martin Luther King Jr., I Have a Dream: Writings and Speeches That Changed the World