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Daughter of Martin Luther King Jr. frustrated over father's quotes being misused

Dr. Bernice A. King is the CEO of The King Center and the youngest daughter of civil rights leaders Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King. On Thursday, she appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, where she clarified some of her father’s most misused quotes. “My father was one of the most hated men in America and now he's one of the most loved men in the world,” said Dr. King, “So much so that people do take liberties to take different quotes to fit their situation and nothing is more frustrating for me than that.” Dr. King gave a couple examples of her father’s words being used out of context, including his belief that riots were the “language of the unheard.” She said, “He was not justifying and saying that he endorsed riots, he was explaining where the riots are coming from.” One of the most glaring examples Dr. King provided was from her father’s famous “Dream” speech. She claimed the line, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character,” is often misunderstood. “People are always saying he was for a color blind America and nothing could be further from the truth,” said Dr. King. “He was basically explaining that no, there is a beauty in who I am as a black person, but I should not be judged by those standards.” While Dr. King was on the show she also promoted #ProtestFromHome. The King Center created the hashtag to give those who do not have the means to physically demonstrate a platform. If you would like to find out more, visit TheKingCenter.org.

Video transcript

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BERNICE A. KING: My father was one of the most hated man in America, and now he's one of the most loved men in the world, so much so that, you know, people do take liberties to kind of take different quotes to fit their situation. And nothing is more frustrating for me than that.

KYLIE MAR: Dr. Bernice A. King is the CEO of the King Center and the youngest daughter of civil rights leaders Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King. And on Thursday night, she appeared on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" to clarify some of her father's most misused quotes.

BERNICE A. KING: For instance, when he talked about riots being the language of the unheard, he was not justifying and saying that he endorsed riots. He was explaining where the riots are coming from.

KYLIE MAR: Bernice claims that even her father's famous "Dream" speech, "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character," has been taken out of context.

BERNICE A. KING: People are always saying, Dr. King was for a colorblind America, and nothing could be further from the truth. I mean, he was basically explaining that, no, there's a beauty in who I am as a black person, but I should not be judged by those standards.

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