After violence erupted when white nationalists and Antifa rioters battled at a rally in support of Confederate statues in Charlottesville, Va., the nation was left reeling. In response, the niece of civil rights hero Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had a message of peace and compassion after a
“I was blown up by the Ku Klux Klan in our home, but we knew that the goal was to transform the laws and transform the human hearts towards compassion,” Dr. Alveda King recently told “Fox & Friends.”
“Racism is sin. Hatred is sin,” the pro-life activist stated, adding that she is a serious Christian.
“We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools,” King said, quoting her uncle Martin Luther King. “I have decided to stick with love. Hate is to great a burden to bear.”
President Trump received criticism for not naming the rioters as white supremacists when he condemned them, but King said the main thing is to speak to everyone about ending the violence.
“We’ve got to stop the violence,” she said. “The president is right about that.”
While removing confederate memorabilia does not immediately solve the problem of racism in America, it belongs in museums and in its proper context, King said.
By Dr. Alveda King
I’ve often been asked to share the King Family Legacy’s approach to nonviolent conflict resolution which is introduced here briefly:
SIX STEPS AND PRINCIPLES FOR NONVIOLENT SOCIAL CHANGE: A sequential journey to victory
Principle 1: Nonviolence is not passive, but requires courage.
Principle 2: Nonviolence seeks reconciliation, not defeat of an adversary.
Principle 3: Nonviolent action is directed at eliminating evil, not destroying an evildoer.
Principle 4: A willingness to accept suffering for the cause, if necessary, but never to inflict it.
Principle 5: A rejection of hatred, animosity or violence of the spirit, as well as refusal to commit physical violence.
Principle 6: Faith that justice will prevail.
Understanding this, we apply the six steps of nonviolent conflict resolution:
(1.) Prayerfully enter into a process by conducting research and gathering information to get the facts straight;
(2.) Continuing in prayer, conduct education and awareness campaigns to inform adversaries and the public about the facts of the dispute.
(3.) Prayerfully commit yourself to live and manifest a nonviolent attitude and actions;
(4.) Prayerfully mediate and negotiate with adversary in a spirit of goodwill to correct injustice;
(5.) Prayerfully apply nonviolent direct action, such as prayer vigils, marches, boycotts, mass demonstrations, picketing, sit-ins etc., to help persuade or compel adversary to work toward dispute-resolution;
(6.) Prayerfully anticipate reconciliation among adversaries in a win-win outcome in establishing a sense of community which should now be achievable.
Considering the times, I am grateful to be a part of a biological family as well as a spiritual family who embrace these truths. Won’t you join us?
