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In 1985, I joined my mother in a protest against apartheid in which we were arrested at the South African embassy in Washington, D.C. And she was at President-elect Mandela’s side in Johannesburg when he claimed victory in South Africa’s first free elections.

Bernice King

Each of us must decide whether it is more important to be proved right or to provoke righteousness.
BERNICE KING

Choice Decision Evidence Important Right
Do we want to be successful, or do we just want to make noise just to make it? Or just to put something on the record? I’ll be honest with you, I’m tired of putting stuff on the record. I’m ready to see some real transformation and change.
BERNICE KING

Change Honesty Myself Noise Record Success Transformation
Daddy taught us through his philosophy of nonviolence, which placed love at the centerpiece, that through that love we can turn enemies into friends. Through that love, we can create more dignified atmospheres.
BERNICE KING

Atmosphere Creation Father Philosophy Teaching Violence
In addition to a stronger focus on better training for law enforcement, America urgently needs programs to provide jobs and educational opportunities in economically depressed communities.
BERNICE KING

Addition Community Depression Job Need Program Strong Training
Nonviolence will empower and equip us to bring generations to the table and fuse our knowledge, gifts, and zeal together.
BERNICE KING

Empowerment Equipment Fusion Generation Knowledge Ourselves Togetherness Violence
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.
BERNICE KING

Difficult Father Myself Question Young
My mother was the strong wife, partner, and co-worker Martin Luther King, Jr. needed to be an effective leader, and he said so on many occasions.
BERNICE KING

Himself Leadership Mom Need Occasion Partner Strong Wife
My mother made countless sacrifices so that her children – and all children – could grow up in a better nation and world.
BERNICE KING

Better Count Growth Mom Nation Sacrifice World
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.’
BERNICE KING

Age Angry God Myself Remember Slow
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.
BERNICE KING

Big Change Ourselves Persistence Refusal Society System Vote
Every time I go to these racial forums, it is people who are alike, or it is progressives and liberals. So I said, ‘At some point, we’ve got to bring the progressives and the liberals and the conservatives together.’
BERNICE KING

Conservatism Forum Liberal Myself People Race Time Togetherness
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.
BERNICE KING

Choice Discover Education Entertainment Faith Force Future Global Government Law Media Ourselves Violence
All of us have to be committed to a life beyond our own aspirations.
BERNICE KING

Aspiration Beyond Commitment Life Ourselves
Before my mother was a King, she climbed trees and wrestled with boys. And won. Even as a child, Coretta Scott demonstrated that her gender would not deter her success, nor did it detract from her strength.
BERNICE KING

Children Climb Demonstration Mom Strength Success Tree
My father really set the tone for us to be a more moral nation, to take a moral high ground in everything that we do.
BERNICE KING

Father Ground Moral Myself Nation
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.
BERNICE KING

Education Gift Mom Music Musician Scholarship Vocal
Occasionally, in the afternoons, I catch a movie, watch football, go to Sunday brunch, or visit with family and friends.
BERNICE KING

Family Food Friendship Movie Myself Occasion
My dad was one who – he was nonpartisan, first of all. He learned to work with whatever administration was in office.
BERNICE KING

Administration Father Himself Learning Office Work
Some of the aspects of my speaking style are inherited and come naturally to me. I didn’t take classes, and I didn’t do anything to hone my skills.
BERNICE KING

Aspect Class Inheritance Myself Skill Style
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.
BERNICE KING

Attend Freedom Introduction Myself Occasion Struggle Volunteer
We are carrying collectively a lot of trauma, especially those of us in the African-American community. And if we’re not careful, it’ll overtake us, and we’ll self-destruct.
BERNICE KING

Carry Collection Community Destruction Ourselves Trauma
It is time for humanity to reset our spiritual compass from self-centeredness to other-centeredness.
BERNICE KING

Centre Humanity Spiritual Time
When I think about some of the policies that we make in this country, the policies are so self-driven.
BERNICE KING

Country Drive Myself Policies Thinking
Trump’s election could be a blessing in disguise. This is the opportunity for America to correct itself.
BERNICE KING

Blessing Correction Disguise Election Myself Opportunity
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.
BERNICE KING

Challenge Development Education Growth Guide Life People Perseverance Time Yourself
Environmental injustice is a tangible, intolerable example of an exhibited moral laxity and minimal concern for healthy standards by corporations and political structures based on the race, ethnicity, and class of those being impacted.
BERNICE KING

Environment Health Impact Injustice Minimal Moral Race Standard
If people want to criticize me, that’s their issue.
BERNICE KING

Criticism Issues Myself People

In 1985, I joined my mother in a protest against apartheid in which we were arrested at the South African embassy in Washington, D.C. And she was at President-elect Mandela’s side in Johannesburg when he claimed victory in South Africa’s first free elections.

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In 1985, I joined my mother in a protest against apartheid in which we were arrested at the South African embassy in Washington, D.C. And she was at President-elect Mandela’s side in Johannesburg when he claimed victory in South Africa’s first free elections.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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