Lecture from Dr. Bernice King

Last month, I had the honor of attending a lecture by Dr. Bernice King, daughter of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., to open Civility Celebration festivities. My semester has been full of activities which have increased my awareness and appreciation of diversity. When I heard that Dr. King would be coming to campus to speak about an issue that is of ever-increasing importance in my life and our country, I could not imagine missing the event.

I was moved by Dr. King's emphasis on peace and forgiveness. To hold a grudge against those who have shown prejudice does nothing to stop the cycle of prejudice. Dr. King mentioned a time in which she and her staff offered help to a former KKK member to overcome his past hatred of minority groups. She even acknowledged that most prejudiced people are as they are due to ignorance brought on by life circumstances.

Dr. King mentioned policy decisions of the Trump Administration such as the Travel, or "Muslim," Ban and the Wall on America's southern border, discussing them in terms of the racial discrimination they represent. The Wall became a central metaphor within her speech. While King said that these acts are representative of the American concepts of freedom and acceptance, she also explained that they do not line up with her Christian values. A minister like her father, King speaks openly about the influence of her spirituality upon her efforts towards a better America. I was inspired and moved by this openness as I am a Christian myself and was happy to see that my interpretation of Christ's love is shared by someone so influential, strong, and peaceful.

After hearing Dr. King speak, I stood in line to purchase a book and have it signed. Inside, Dr. King wrote, "To Olivia--Build bridges, not walls!" It is a message which I am working to live by. Building walls can come in the form of open prejudice, but it can also come from opting to interact with people who are like you in favor of people who are not. With all I have learned this semester about diversity and the ideas expressed by Dr. King, I hope to be working on that bridge for years to come.