War in Gaza and US election factor into some of the many events planned for MLK holiday
As communities across the U.S. celebrate the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday this weekend, some people are taking a cue from the civil rights iconโs history of protest amid the war in Gaza and the looming presidential election.
Public reaction to killings at Atlanta-area massage parlors
Shootings at two massage parlors in Atlanta and one in the suburbs have left multiple people dead, many of them women of Asian descent, authorities said Tuesday. The shootings happened under the trauma of increasing violence against Asian Americans nationwide, fueled by white supremacy and systemic racism.โ โ Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Atlanta. Ad___โThe surge in violence against Asian Americans over the last year is a growing crisis. We need action from our leaders and within our communities to stop the hate.โ โ Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. ... Our entire nation must come together to speak out to Stop Asian Hate."
King Day service calls for nonviolence amid turbulent times
Martin Luther King Jr. and his wife Coretta Scott King on Monday, Jan. 18, 2021, to celebrate the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, in Atlanta. โThis King holiday has not only come at a time of great peril and physical violence, it has also come during a time of violence in our speech โ what we say and how we say it,โ said the Rev. Bernice King, the slain civil rights leader's daughter. His family was among a sparse group wearing masks and sitting far apart amid mostly empty pews as others delivered remarks remotely. That means that our destiny is tied together.โMartin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968, while supporting striking sanitation workers in Memphis, Tennessee.
Anonymous $40 million gift funding 50 civil rights lawyers
The NAACP's Legal Defense Fund launched a $40 million scholarship program on Monday, Jan. 18, 2021, to create a new generation of civil rights lawyers. (AP Photo/Charles Tasnadi, left, and Henry Griffin)ATLANTA โ The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund launched a $40 million scholarship program on Monday to support a new generation of civil rights lawyers, dedicated to pursuing racial justice across the South. With that whopping gift from a single anonymous donor, the fund plans to put 50 students through law schools around the country. In return, they must commit to eight years of racial justice work in the South, starting with a two-year post-graduate fellowship in a civil rights organization. โThe donor very much wanted to support the development of civil rights lawyers in the South.
Funeral for Rayshard Brooks to be held at MLK's church
Raphael G. Warnock, senior pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church, comforts Tomika Miller, the wife of Rayshard Brooks during his public viewing at Ebenezer Baptist Church on Monday, Jun 22, 2020 in Atlanta. A private funeral for Brooks will be held Tuesday at the church. (Curtis Compton/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP, Pool)ATLANTA Rayshard Brooks, who was fatally shot by a police officer, is to be remembered Tuesday at the church in Atlanta where the Rev. The private funeral at Ebenezer Baptist Church follows a public viewing held Monday. Bernice King, also plans to deliver remarks at Brooks' funeral, along with a friend of his and his mother-in-law, according to a draft program released by the church.
MLK's Daughter on the 'Pain' George Floyd's 6-Year-Old Is Feeling and What Must Change (Exclusive)
Bernice King knows the pain George Floyd's 6-year-old daughter, Gianna, is feeling after her father's fatal arrest. We gotta change America." "She said to us, 'My daddy changed the world,'" King explained, touching on video of Gianna shouting the phrase. Heart change, structure change and policy change." RELATED CONTENT:George Floyd's Daughter Says 'Daddy Changed the World' in Moving Clip3 Other Fired Police Officers Charged for George Floyd's DeathBarack Obama Delivers Uplifting Speech Amid Protests
Martin Luther King Jr.s Daughter Urges Protestors to Use Non-Violent Means
Dr. Bernice King, the youngest child of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., is speaking out as protests are carried out around the country. King went on to follow in the footsteps of her Civil Rights leader father, urging a non-violent civil disobedience. Because I realize that the only way to get constructive change is through non-violent means," she continued. The activist went on to note that systemic racism and white supremacy must be dealt with through non-violent means. King noted that though she doesn't support violent protests, that doesn't mean she doesn't relate to protestors' pain.
Protests over police killings rage in dozens of US cities
In Washington, the National Guard was deployed outside the White House, where chanting crowds taunted law enforcement officers. In Salt Lake City, protesters defied a curfew and National Guard troops were deployed by Utahs governor. Muhammad said she sympathized with peaceful protests over Floyds death but disagreed with the violence: Wrong doesnt answer wrong." Overnight curfews were imposed in more than a dozen major cities nationwide, including Atlanta, Denver, Los Angeles, Minneapolis and Seattle. Governors in Georgia, Kentucky, Ohio and Texas also activated the National Guard after protests there turned violent.
MLKโs daughter weighs in on her fatherโs dream in a polarized America
But the late civil rights leader's daughter Bernice King believes there is no better time to build community. โThe fierce urgency of nowโBernice King also believes America needs his teaching more now than ever. Kingโs 2020 visionAs CEO of the King Center in Atlanta, King preserves her father's legacy and promotes his philosophies of non-violence, justice and community. King believes that this recognition should lead to bolder actions like courageous conversations addressing the pain of racism and injustice. "We have to understand my father's teachings and his work in a comprehensive way," she said.