Bernice King: A daughter’s memory
In this series, the AJC takes a look back at the life of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights movement through its historical coverage. It’s a story that can never be forgotten, especially by those who lived it.
Bernice Albertine King was just 5 years old when her father was assassinated. The youngest child of the Rev. Martin Luther and Coretta Scott King says she doesn’t have many memories of her father. She was born not long before the height of the Southern protests, including the Selma, Ala., marches, so her father was away from home more often than he was before her birth.
But she shares a special memory with the AJC, about a game her father would play whenever he returned home.
“That was my bonding and my identification with him, and I thought it was so important because without that, I would literally have no conscious memories of my father,” King said.
Bernice King has earned a masters of divinity degree as well as a law degree. The only one of the King children to follow in their father’s ministry footsteps, she admits she wishes he were here to give her counsel.
MLK COVERAGE
About the Author
Nancy Clanton is a lead producer for The AJC's platforms team, but also writes stories about health, travel, events and entertainment. A native of Knoxville and graduate of the University of Tennessee, she has worked at the AJC for 24 years.
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