Monday, January 18, 2021, The United States of America observed Martin Luther King Jr. Day. To honor his memory, people are given the day off from school and work and many all across this country choose to be of service to others in need. Americorps observes this day with its members not as a day off, but as a day on. 

The West Philadelphia Promise Corps spent the morning reflecting on the life and legacy of Martin Luther King and the impact he has left on this world. Later that day, Promise Corps partnered with Turning Points for Children to host a virtual event for the families of the community. During the event, Promise Corps coaches read these three short books to the families attending about embracing and loving oneself:  I Love My Hair by Nataha Anatasia Tarpley, Happy in our Skin by Fran Manushkin, and Unique and Wonderful by Dee Smith. 

Following the reading, the families participated in an arts and craft hour led by the staff at Turning Points for Children. During the arts and craft hour, the attending families were taught about the art style of cubism pioneered by the artist Pablo Picasso during 1907. Cubism uses three-dimensional geometric shapes to abstractly display images in a disintegrated form to suggest multiple viewpoints. After learning about the Cubism movement, the families were tasked with a project to create a self-portrait using cubism. By the end, each kid created a beautifully made self-portrait in the style of cubism infused with their own personal style. 

The event was a complete success! Promise Corps and Turning Points for Children were so grateful to have spent MLK Day with the fabulous families in our community!

Arianna Coleman, Overbrook High School College and Career Coach