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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.

Bernice King

Like my father, I believe that nonviolence is the antidote to what he called ‘the triple evils of racism, poverty and militarism.’ These three evils were consuming our hopes for community in 1964, and, fifty years later, we remain divided because of their festering effects.
BERNICE KING

Believe Division Effect Father Race Violence
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.
BERNICE KING

Death End Father Mom Money Ourselves
People have labeled me homophobic. If I was homophobic, I wouldn’t have friends who are gay and lesbian, so that can’t be true.
BERNICE KING

Friendship Label Myself People True
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
If I had to do it all over again, would I want my dad here? I would say no. Our world is in a better place because our father gave his life.
BERNICE KING

Better Father Himself Improvement Life Place World
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
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
Before she was a King, my mother was a peace advocate, a courageous leader, and an accomplished artist.
BERNICE KING

Accomplishment Artist Courage Leadership Mom Peace
What I’m trying to do is fulfill what my father said, which is, ‘We have to find a way to live together as brothers and sisters, or together we’re going to perish as fools.’
BERNICE KING

Father Fools Fulfill Live Togetherness
How do we expect change to occur if we are not willing to put on the whole armor of God and fight injustice wherever it raises its ugly head?
BERNICE KING

Change Fight God Head Ugly Willing
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
In the end, I still have the same hope as my father – that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the last word.
BERNICE KING

Conditional End Father Hope Myself Word
Among her many accomplishments, my mother is often identified as the leader of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday movement.
BERNICE KING

Accomplishment Identify Leadership Mom Myself
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
Love is not a weak, spineless emotion; it is a powerful moral force on the side of justice.
BERNICE KING

Emotion Force Justice Love Moral Powerful Weakness
We cannot afford to regard as normal the presence of injustice, inhumanity, and violence, including their verbal and cyber manifestations.
BERNICE KING

Afford Manifestation Normal Presence
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
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
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
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
If people want to criticize me, that’s their issue.
BERNICE KING

Criticism Issues Myself People
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
In addition to needed gun control reforms, America urgently needs a stronger protest movement dedicated to reducing the glorification of violence in our culture – in music, film, television, video games, and even the Internet.
BERNICE KING

Addition Control Game Movement Protest Violence
My mother and Ethel Kennedy became good friends and worked together on a number of causes they had shared with their husbands. They together co-chaired ‘A Time to Remember’ to mobilize a movement for gun control.
BERNICE KING

Control Friendship Goodness Mom Movement Togetherness Work
Institutionalized racism has been with us pre-Obama, and it obviously will be with us post-Obama.
BERNICE KING

Existence Institutional Oppression Ourselves Race
I know that the absence of my father in my life had its cost.
BERNICE KING

Absence Cost Father Life Myself
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

Arrest Election Freedom Join Mom Myself Politics Protest Victory

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.

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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.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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