Bernice King is the youngest child of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, two of the most prominent civil rights leaders in history.
She is also a lawyer, a minister, and the CEO of The King Center, an organization that promotes her father’s nonviolent philosophy and methodology.
But what do we know about Bernice King’s education? How did she pursue her academic and professional goals?
Here are some facts you need to know about Bernice King’s education.
Early Childhood and Tragedies
Bernice King was born on March 28, 1963, in Atlanta, Georgia.
She was only five years old when her father was assassinated on April 4, 1968. She witnessed her mother’s grief and courage as she continued her father’s legacy and raised four children alone.
Bernice King was deeply affected by her father’s death and struggled with anger and depression in her childhood.
She also faced several other tragedies, such as the murder of her grandmother in 1974 and the drowning of her brother in 1977.
College Education and Calling
Bernice King attended Spelman College, a historically black women’s college in Atlanta, where she majored in psychology.
She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 1985.
Bernice King said that Spelman College helped her develop her identity and confidence as a black woman.
She also said that she was inspired by the examples of other Spelman graduates, such as Marian Wright Edelman and Alice Walker.
Bernice King felt called to the ministry when she was 17 years old, after watching a documentary about her father.
She said that she wanted to continue his spirit and vision through preaching and teaching.
Bernice King enrolled at Emory University, where she earned a Master of Divinity degree and a Juris Doctor degree in 1990.
She said that she chose to study both theology and law because she wanted to combine her spiritual and social passions.
Ministry and Leadership
Bernice King delivered her first sermon at Ebenezer Baptist Church, the church of her father and grandfather, on March 27, 1988.
Bernice King was ordained as a minister in 1990.
She served as an assistant minister at Ebenezer from 1990 to 1993, and then as a minister at Greater Rising Star Baptist Church in Atlanta from 1995 to 2000.
She also published a collection of her sermons and speeches, titled Hard Questions, Heart Answers, in 1996.
Bernice King is the only child of Martin Luther King Jr. who followed his footsteps into the ministry.
She has often been compared to her father, but she has also developed her own style and voice.
She has spoken out against war, racism, sexism, poverty, and violence.
Bernice King became the CEO of The King Center in 2012.
The King Center is an organization that educates people about Martin Luther King Jr.’s life, work, and legacy.
It also trains people in his nonviolent philosophy and methodology, which it calls Nonviolence 365.
Bernice King said that she wants to make Nonviolence 365 a way of life for everyone.
Bernice King’s education shows that she is a well-rounded and accomplished woman who has achieved success in her academic and professional fields.
She is also a faithful and dedicated woman who has followed her calling to the ministry and leadership.
She is best known as Martin Luther King Jr.’s daughter, but she has her own story to tell.
Conclusion
Bernice King is the youngest child of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, two of the most prominent civil rights leaders in history.
She is also a lawyer, a minister, and the CEO of The King Center, an organization that promotes her father’s nonviolent philosophy and methodology.
Bernice King’s education shows that she is a well-rounded and accomplished woman who has achieved success in her academic and professional fields.
She has spoken out against injustice and violence, but she has also advocated for nonviolence and peace.
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