Bernice King

“Before my mother was a King, she was a gifted vocalist and musician, whose skill and academia garnered her a scholarship to the prestigious New England Conservatory for Music in Boston.”

“Love is not a weak, spineless emotion; it is a powerful moral force on the side of justice.”

“My favorite preacher is not with me anymore, and that's my father.”

“You will encounter misguided people from time to time. That's part of life. The challenge is to educate them when you can, but always to keep your dignity and self-respect and persevere in your personal growth and development.”

“It is time for humanity to reset our spiritual compass from self-centeredness to other-centeredness.”

“My mother made countless sacrifices so that her children - and all children - could grow up in a better nation and world.”

“It is painful beyond measure to lose a loving father and grandmother to violence.”

“If each of us works toward making a sincere effort when we wake up each morning with a renewed commitment and dedication to embracing nonviolence as a lifestyle, this world will become a better place, bringing us ever closer to the Beloved Community of which my father so often spoke.”

“The more you resist something, the more aggressive it becomes.”

“I believe that everyone, regardless of their beliefs, deserves the dignity of being called by their name.”

“One person cannot be blamed for years of problems as it relates to race in America. This is something that has been with us since the founding of this nation. I mean, we were founded with slaves.”

“We must rediscover our faith in the future and join with one another to ensure that nonviolence is the prevalent choice for government, law enforcement, the non-profit sector, business, education, media, entertainment, arts, and for the global citizenry.”

“I wrestled with anger from the age of sixteen. It's still one of my nemeses. I have to remember that the word of God says, 'Be slow to anger.'”

“When my father died, the money he left us would have dried up within a year were it not for my mother... We might very well have ended up on welfare.”

“We cannot afford to regard as normal the presence of injustice, inhumanity, and violence, including their verbal and cyber manifestations.”

“In 1985, I was arrested, along with my mother and brother, Martin III, in a protest against apartheid at the South African Embassy in Washington, D.C.”

“My first introduction to South Africa's struggle for freedom came when I was just 17. I had volunteered to speak in my mother's stead at a United Nations forum on South Africa because she was unable to attend on that occasion.”

“Often, I am asked, 'What was your father like?' or, 'What would he think?' These are very difficult questions to answer, as I was so very young when I lost my father.”

“I didn't have a father to deal with about boyfriends. I didn't have a father to show me how a man and woman relate in a family setting. Therefore, I have given over my life to mentoring young people. I'm adamant about young people who have been denied a father/daughter relationship.”

“Something big is going on. I'm talking about a society that refuses to allow injustice just to persist without making our voices heard and without organizing to bring about effective change through our voting system.”