Martin Luther King's Daughter Reflects on the Legacy of 1963 March on Washington

On the day before the 60th memorial of 1963 march on Washington, Bernice King, Martin Luther King Jr.’s daughter, visited her father’s monument in Washington to reflect on the march and family legacy.

Dr. Bernice King delivers message about commerating the MLK Holiday and voting rights

Dr. Bernice King, the King Center CEO and daughter of Martin Luther King, Jr., offered an explanation of the center's and her family's plans for the MLK Day holiday in 2022 after her brother, Martin Luther King III indicated this week they would not formally celebrate it unless voting rights bills pass in Congress.

In a video message posted to social media, Bernice King said she stands in solidarity with her brother, Martin Luther King III, in "calling our nation's attention to securing and protecting the most sacred right of our democracy, which is the right to vote."

Hello, family. Here is a message from me about commemorating #MLKDay, my mother's work to establish a holiday in honor of my father's life and legacy, and #MLKGlobal. Let's educate, advocate and activate. #MLK #CorettaScottKing #ShiftingPriorities pic.twitter.com/UtJNy14V7l

— Be A King (@BerniceKing) December 17, 2021

WATCH Bernice King speech at the March for Voting Rights 2021

During a march for voting rights and in commemoration of the 58th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s ‘I Have A Dream’ speech, King Center CEO, Dr. Bernice A. King, shares the urgency for ensuring federal legislation to end voter suppression.

Watch her speech below:

Bernice King, daughter of Martin Luther King Jr. expresses support for April Ryan

Bernice King, the daughter of Martin Luther King Jr. and CEO of The King Center thought President (In Title Only) Trump went to far when he called White House correspondent April Ryan a loser and expressed her support for Ryan via Twitter:

I love you, @AprilDRyan. Thank you for being courageous and asking difficult, necessary questions. Be encouraged.

— Be A King (@BerniceKing) November 9, 2018

Bernice King to Steve Bannon: My dad would not be proud of Trump

In an interview with BBC’s “Newsnight,” Steve Bannon, the former White House chief strategist cited historically low unemployment rates for black and Hispanic workers and credited the president’s crackdown on illegal immigration.

“If you look at the policies of Donald Trump, OK, anybody — Martin Luther King — would be proud of him, of what he’s done for the black and Hispanic community for jobs,” Bannon said.

In a series of tweets Bernice King, the Rev. Martin Luther King’s daughter blasted Steve Bannon’s claim that her father would be proud of President Donald Trump.

#SteveBannon has dangerously and erroneously co-opted my father’s name, work and words.

Bannon’s assertion that my father, #MLK, would be proud of Donald Trump wholly ignores Daddy’s commitment to people of all races, nationalities, etc. being treated with dignity and respect.

— Be A King (@BerniceKing) May 24, 2018

My father’s concerns were not sectional, but global. He was an activist for the civil rights of Black people in America, but he was also an activist for human rights. #MLK

— Be A King (@BerniceKing) May 24, 2018

In addition, he would never pit one group against another in the struggle for justice, as Bannon attempts to use him to do in discussing those he termed as “illegal aliens” and Black people. #MLK

— Be A King (@BerniceKing) May 24, 2018

Bannon’s comments are like feeding someone empty calories, in that they don’t convey a comprehensive view of #MLK as a global humanitarian who cared about the well-being of all people.

— Be A King (@BerniceKing) May 24, 2018

My father would be extremely disturbed by the climate created by leaders, who have emboldened people to easily express and demonstrate cruelty, predominantly toward people of color and immigrants. #MLK

— Be A King (@BerniceKing) May 24, 2018

Finally, #MLK would be proud of a livable wage for all and not merely a low unemployment rate. #PoorPeoplesCampaign

— Be A King (@BerniceKing) May 24, 2018

Bernice King Call for Boycott of Waffle House

Bernice King, the youngest daughter of Civil Rights icons Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King, is calling for the boycott of Atlanta-based chain Waffle House after a video surfaced of an incident involving a police officer at a location in Warsaw, North Carolina. The video shows an officer choking, then pushing 22-year-old Anthony Wall to the ground. Wall was in formal attire and had just taken his 16-year-old sister to the prom.

King, the CEO of the King Center in Atlanta, took to Twitter Thursday asking people to “stay out of Waffle House until the corporate office” commits to employee training and discussions on racism.

Family, let’s stay out of @WaffleHouse until the corporate office legitimately and seriously commits to 1) discussion on racism, 2) employee training, and 3) other plans to change; and until they start to implement changes. https://t.co/NJWFOBKN7i

— Be A King (@BerniceKing) May 10, 2018

[SOURCE: ATLANTA EATER]

On April 4th Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s entire family to honor 50th anniversary of his death

ATLANTA- Bells will toll 39 times around the world on April 4, 2018 at 6:01 p.m. CT in remembrance of the life taken 50 years earlier by a gun shot that shook America and the world to the core. At the same time, the surviving children of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mrs. Coretta Scott King will be joined by members of the King family to toll a bell and lay a wreath on the crypts of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mrs. Coretta Scott King on the campus of The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change in Atlanta, Georgia.

Dr. Bernice A. King, CEO of The King Center stated, "Today, we remember my father's death, but most importantly, we must remember the purpose and power of his life. Although this day is challenging for our family and for many around the world, I encourage you to hope today and to hope always. As my father expressed in his Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, I still have 'an audacious faith in the future of mankind.' Our family encourages you to not be angered by my father's death; be bolstered by his teachings and awakened by his work. 50 years later, let us remember him by embracing the truth that Together We Win with Love for Humanity."

At 10:30 a.m. on April 4th, The Center will present its highest award in the Yolanda D. King Theatre of The Performing Arts. This year the Martin Luther King, Jr. Peace Prize recipients are: Mr. Benjamin Ferencz for his courageous work as a prosecutor for the Nuremburg, Germany Nazi Leadership trials; and Mr. Bryan Stevenson for his fearless advocacy work in the legal field such as the winning of the historic ruling making mandatory life-without-parole sentences for all children 17 or younger unconstitutional and as well, the founding of The Legacy Museum: From Enslavement to Mass Incarceration and The National Memorial for Peace and Justice. The award ceremony will be followed by a reception for the honorees. A Q&A moderated by Monica Pearson will provide an opportunity for them to dialogue with guests.

Dr. Bernice A. King states, "Our hope and prayer is that all people who want to honor and who love my father will join us in remembering him in any one, or in all of these special moments. Not only will we be honoring him, but we will be committing our energy and efforts to building the Beloved Community. I am certain that he would be profoundly grateful that we are gathered to grow together and help move humanity forward!" The Center will continue commemorative events from April 4th through 9th. For more details of the events and how you can register to participate, please log onto http://www.mlk50forward.org or http://www.thekingcenter.org.

Bernice King & The King Center respond to Dodge Super Bowl commercial

Both Bernice King and The King Center took to Twitter to respond to the Dodge/Ram Truck Super Bowl commercial that used Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's "The Drum Major Instinct" sermon to sell trucks, although they would have the public believe that the ad was about community service. Read those tweets below:

Neither @TheKingCenter nor @BerniceKing is the entity that approves the use of #MLK’s words or imagery for use in merchandise, entertainment (movies, music, artwork, etc) or advertisement, including tonight’s @Dodge #SuperBowl commercial.

— The King Center (@TheKingCenter) February 5, 2018

Here is #DrumMajorInstinct in its entirety. Learn about #MLK from him. Please listen to/read his speeches, sermons and writings. Understand his comprehensive teachings and his global perspective. Study his nonviolent philosophy. It’s more than a tactic. https://t.co/56fiF8r6iP

— Be A King (@BerniceKing) February 5, 2018

AFRICAN AMERICAN REPORTS TAKE ON THE MLK/RAM TRUCK COMMERCIAL

Statue of Martin Luther King Jr. unveiled in Atlanta

The daughter of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. stood beside her father's newly unveiled statue Monday, just a few blocks from where he grew up, handing out hugs and telling each well-wisher: "It's about time."

The statue paying tribute to King made its public debut Monday on the Georgia Capitol grounds in front of around 800 people including Gov. Nathan Deal, many other state political leaders and several members of the King family. The sculpture's installation comes more than three years after Georgia lawmakers endorsed the project.

"Forty-nine years ago when my father was assassinated, he was the most hated man in America. Today, he is one of the most loved men in the world," the Rev. Bernice King said of her father, who was slain in 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee.

A replica of the nation's Liberty Bell tolled three times before the 8-foot (2.4-meter) bronze statue was unveiled on the 54th anniversary of King's "I have a dream" speech at the 1963 March on Washington. The sculpture depicts King in mid-stride, as his left arm holds an overcoat while grasping a batch of papers.

"Today, we as the sons and daughters of former slaves and former slave owners are here to witness the unveiling of that statue," Bernice King said. "It is a glorious and grand day in the state of Georgia and in the United States of America and all over the world."

Read more: Statue of Martin Luther King Jr. unveiled in his hometown.

For sale: The legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.

Here's an article that I read in my local Sunday paper ( The Star Ledger ) from a great columnist Leonard Pitts Jr. The article takes a hard unflinching look at the embarrassing situations Martin Luther Kings' children regularly find themselves in when it comes to dealing with their father's estate. I wanted to share it with others who may not get the article in their local papers. George Cook AAreports.com.

For sale: The legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. By Leonard Pitts Jr.

Maybe we should take up an offering.

Obviously, the heirs of Martin Luther King Jr. are hard up for money. That must be why they keep selling off pieces of his legacy.

Have you heard the latest? King's youngest child, Bernice, issued a statement last week after her brothers, Dexter and Martin III, filed suit to force her to turn over their father's Nobel Peace Prize and his traveling Bible. She says they want to sell them to a private owner.

According to the suit, King's heirs agreed in 1995 to turn their inheritance over to a corporate entity, The Estate of Martin Luther King Jr. Inc., where Martin is chairman of the board. The complaint says Bernice has "repeatedly acknowledged and conceded the validity" of the agreement, but still refuses to surrender the items. The suit makes no mention of a sale. I called the King brothers' lawyer for comment. He didn't return the call.

In her statement, Bernice writes, "While I love my brothers dearly, this latest decision by them is extremely troubling." She says she is "appalled," "ashamed" and "disappointed" by their behavior. "It reveals a desperation beyond comprehension." Their father, she adds, "MUST be turning in his grave."

Turning? Martin Luther King must be spinning like a record album.

Read more here: For sale: The legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King Jr. estate sues daughter over Nobel medal

The estate of Martin Luther King Jr. has sued the late civil rights leader's daughter over possession of his 1964 Nobel Peace Prize medal and a Bible used by President Barack Obama during his second inauguration.

In a suit filed in Georgia on Friday, the estate, chaired by King's elder son, Martin Luther King III, said Bernice King "has secreted and sequestered the property." The estate is seeking an emergency court order forcing her to return the items.

Bernice King said her brothers, Martin and Dexter King, told her last month that they wanted to sell their father's medal and personal Bible to a private buyer, a move she opposes.

"While I love my brothers dearly, this latest decision by them is extremely troubling," she said in a statement on Tuesday. "Our Father MUST be turning in his grave."

Bernice King is chief executive officer of the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, a nonprofit group in Atlanta formed by King's widow after his 1968 assassination.

She said the items have been under her care in recent years and have remained in "a safe and secure location" since her father's assassination and the death of her mother, Coretta Scott King, in 2006.

Read more: Martin Luther King Jr. estate sues daughter over Nobel medal, Bible