LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – On the morning of the 95th birthday of Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., his niece, Dr. Alveda King visited Lansing to speak about his life, legacy, and the new civil rights fight of this era. 

Who is is Dr. Alveda King?

Daughter of Alfred Daniel Williams King (AD) and Naomi Ruth King, Dr. Alveda King continued in the family tradition of preaching as an evangelist.  

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“I don’t want to take anything away my uncle, but I do want to tell you, Daddy King [A.D. King] talked about the least of these, serving others,” said Dr. King. “If people are enjoying the holiday, do that but maybe give to your favorite charity today or something like that. Do something for others today, say a prayer for others.” 

She also shared about the preachers in her family, and while she called them imperfect, she acknowledged that they were major civil rights leaders. 

“[A.D. King] was a wonderful preacher, a wonderful civil rights leader,” said Dr. King “Martin Luther King was imperfect, granddaddy was imperfect, daddy was, I’m imperfect.”

“You can’t hate white people.”

As Dr. King provided insight into her own walk with faith, acknowledging that she did not always understand how to extend forgiveness and not hold grudges for many years – expressing to her father hatred for white people after the murder of MLK. 

“You can’t hate white people,” said Dr. King, sharing her father’s response. “White people pray with us, march with us, live with us, die with us sometimes. The devil did this, not skin color, we are one blood.”

She has also been given the Cardinal John O’Connor Pro-Life Hall of Fame award in 2011 and is a proponent of the sanctity of life and opposing abortion. 

“If people do not know better,” said Dr. King, “They can’t do better.” 

Civil Rights also involves the unborn.

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For Dr. King, the Civil Rights issue of the time is the fight for the unborn. 

“Along with praying, you can donate, you can give – that’s something you can do,” she said.   “You can not be afraid to talk to other people in your community about the issue, you don’t have to avoid it or pretend it doesn’t exist.” 

Dr. King also encouraged the teaching of the pro-life message to elected officials in office and those pursuing office. 

Also in attendance for the Q & A with Dr. King was Mary Grace Braatz, Board Member of Protect Life Michigan, who discovered later in life that she was the product of a rape. 

“The value of a child has nothing to do with the circumstances of their conception,” said Braatz. 

Braatz shared that rape accounts for less than 1% all abortions in the United States. 

“Yet those on the pro-abortion side will tell you that that’s enough, that’s absolute  justification for taking the lives of our nation’s children,” she said. “They want to take away that which is good, created from that which was intended to harm.” 

“Adding more tragedy and violence on top of tragedy and violence would never be a compassionate solution, no matter how they phrase it,” Braatz added. 

Who sponsored the event?

The event was hosted by Salt & Light Global (SLG), a faith-based non-profit organization at South Church in Lansing. 

“Everyone has something valuable to offer and injustice will only end when each person embraces their unique role in advocating for the most vulnerable with love and compassion,” said Marilyn Wagner, SLG President. 

Dr. King, also a former Georgia legislator, was awarded the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award in 2021.