Bernice King, daughter of Martin Luther King Jr., denounced distortions of her father’s legacy amidst the current political climate at the Martin Luther King Jr. Day keynote speech on Jan. 28.
Approximately 170 people attended the event — which was hosted by the Office of Institutional Diversity and Equity at the Hanover Inn Ballroom — and another 200 streamed the event over Zoom, according to associate vice president for inclusion and strategic engagement Tennille Haynes.
King began her speech with a reflection on her father’s teachings and legacy, which she said have been distorted to fit a “political agenda.” She added that there will always be backlash to “every step or two steps we make forward.”
“There are always going to be efforts to hold back, to undermine, to oppress,” King said.
King said she believes that President Donald Trump is making choices that are “very damaging to this world” and “setting some very terrible precedents.” She called for non-violent actions in response, such as those taken by her father during the Civil Rights Movement.
“The reason my father was effective is because he cultivated an inner person that could withstand what was happening outside,” King said. “... Nothing could destroy his peace. Nothing could come against him because he knew that he was walking in a strength and a power that could resist those kinds of evil forces.”
She warned the audience that Trump’s initial decision not to acknowledge the holiday “emboldens people who are already filled with hate.” The Trump administration released a delayed statement on Martin Luther King Jr. Day after receiving backlash for not issuing a proclamation, according to the New York Times.
“Years before now I had felt, in my spirit, that at some point there’s gonna be an attempt to remove this holiday,” King said.
Annika Kumwembe TH appreciated getting an “inside view” of Martin Luther King’s life, and praised the speaker’s honesty.
“It’s great that she can say what she really feels, but also keep it light and funny at certain times, which was really great, having some comedic relief,” Kumwembe said. “But also hearing what she thinks and what she remembers, especially from all of his speeches and all of the times in her life.”
Audience member Benjamin Sklarew ’29 said he “really appreciated” how King related the causes her father advocated for to a “modern context.”
“That really helped me appreciate how these struggles are cyclical across history and how just because we’ve won against hatred and prejudice in some aspects, that doesn’t mean that there’s more that we can’t do in order to improve our country and improve the world,” Sklarew said.
Haynes said that the Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebrations are the result of an “institutional effort” at Dartmouth that involves many departments and groups on campus.
“She is phenomenal on her own … to have the daughter and the youngest child of Dr. King on campus means a lot,” Haynes added.
