LESSONS from LEADERS: Rev. Dr. Bernice A. King

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THE DAUGHTER OF A KING

The Reverend Doctor Bernice A. King carries the legacy of one of Atlanta, GA’s most important families. She is often identified as the CEO of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Non-Violent Social Change.  But that’s not why she is interviewed for this podcast.  

Business ownership and financial independence are not usually discussed as being planks in the civil rights platform. Dr. Bernice ties them together and shares her thoughts about how a cultural trait she identifies as “I want to have my own” may be at odds with the ability to grow sustainable global enterprises. 

Dr. Bernice is a small business owner and has made United States history in the field of banking.  While being the primary keeper of her father’s legacy and the field of traditional finance seem far removed from each other, Dr. Bernice explains why they are more closely linked than most people realize.  She also tells listeners that Operation Breadbasket, one of the last programs established by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. before his assassination,  was an important component in the civil rights movement. Operation Breadbasket was operated by the S.C.L.C (Southern Christian Leadership Conference) It involved home ownership and business development in the African American community. 

This podcast shows how much her father,  the man she never got to meet as an adult, has shaped her aspirations in life.  It also highlights the influence her mother, Coretta Scott King, had in building her youngest daughter’s clear-headed approach to problems. 

Rev. Bernice King holds dual juris doctor, ( J.D.) and divinity degrees from Emory University.  She is also an ordained minister.  She takes her calling seriously and in this podcast, shares her belief that the hand of the Supreme Being has guided all of her choices in life which include where she got her education, how she met her business partner, Ashley Bell and the opportunity that allowed her to pray for a Catholic Pope. 

If you have ever had questions about the woman tasked with interpreting the concept of non-violence for current generations, listen to this podcast.  It will leave you enlightened and uplifted.