Bernice King: Her Life, Family, Education and Civil Rights Work
Meet Martin Luther King Jr.’s youngest daughter, from her childhood in Atlanta to her career in ministry and leadership of The King Center.
Introduction
Bernice King is an American minister, lawyer and civil rights advocate. She is the youngest child of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King.
Since January 2012, she has served as CEO of The King Center in Atlanta, continuing the institution her mother founded.
Her own journey took time.
She studied psychology, earned degrees in law and divinity, and worked with young people in the juvenile court system. She also had to decide how to follow her religious calling while building an identity of her own.
Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Bernice Albertine King |
| Date of birth | 28 March 1963 |
| Birthplace | Atlanta, Georgia, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Profession | Minister, lawyer, author and civil rights advocate |
| Current role | CEO of The King Center |
| Father | Martin Luther King Jr. |
| Mother | Coretta Scott King |
| Siblings | Yolanda Denise King, Martin Luther King III and Dexter Scott King |
| Bachelor’s degree | Psychology, Spelman College, 1985 |
| Graduate degrees | Juris Doctor and Master of Divinity, Emory University, 1990 |
| Ordination | 1990 |
Early Life and Family Background
Born on 28 March 1963, Bernice grew up in Atlanta as the youngest of four children.
Her father’s work placed the family in the public eye. Yet she was still very young during the events that made him a central figure in American civil rights history.
She had just turned five when he was assassinated on 4 April 1968.
The loss changed her childhood.
A photograph showing her resting against her mother at his funeral became a widely recognised image of the family’s grief.
Coretta continued raising the children while carrying forward her husband’s work. In 1968, she founded The King Center to preserve his teachings and support nonviolent social change.
Decades later, her youngest daughter would lead that organisation.
Education and University Studies
She attended The Galloway School in Atlanta and graduated from Douglass High School in 1981.
Her college education began at Grinnell College in Iowa. She later transferred to Spelman College, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 1985.
Then came law and theology.
At Emory University, she completed a Juris Doctor and a Master of Divinity in 1990.
The HistoryMakers identifies her as the first official graduate of Emory’s joint law and divinity programme.
Her education gave her different ways to understand people’s problems. Legal training prepared her for work involving the courts, while theology helped prepare her for ministry.
Finding Her Own Identity
Becoming a preacher was a personal decision.
She has spoken about wanting people to know her beyond her father’s name. Law school helped her develop a separate identity while she considered her call to ministry.
That choice was not immediate.
She eventually accepted the calling, but her legal education remained an important part of her professional life.
Early Activism and Public Speaking
Her public speaking began young.
In 1980, aged 17, she addressed the United Nations about apartheid in South Africa. She spoke in her mother’s place.
She also joined anti-apartheid demonstrations. TED’s account of her life records arrests with her siblings during protests in 1985 and 1986.
These experiences connected her early public work to the international fight against racial discrimination.
Ministry and Church Career
On 27 March 1988, she delivered her trial sermon at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta.
It was the day before her 25th birthday.
The church held deep family meaning. Her father and grandfather had both served there.
She was ordained in 1990 and served as an assistant minister at Ebenezer from 1990 to 1993.
She later worked at Greater Rising Star Baptist Church, where her responsibilities included ministry involving women and young people.
She also served at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia, Georgia, before leaving in 2011.
Preaching gave her a public voice of her own. It allowed her to discuss faith alongside questions about personal responsibility and fair treatment.
Legal Work With Young People
Her law degree led to practical work.
Between 1990 and 1992, she served as a law clerk under Judge Glenda Hatchett in the Fulton County Juvenile Court system.
There, she saw some of the difficulties facing young people involved with the courts. The experience informed her interest in youth work.
She was admitted to the State Bar of Georgia in 1992.
Her official profile also lists her as a registered mediator through the Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution.
Bernice King’s Leadership at The King Center
She became CEO of The King Center in January 2012.
Its full name is the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change. Her mother established it as a living memorial to her father’s work.
Education remains a main purpose.
The Center teaches Nonviolence365, which encourages people to practise nonviolence in everyday life and in efforts to address injustice.
Basically, it asks people to learn a method and use it. That includes responding to conflict while continuing to seek fair treatment.
Its programmes include Students with King and the Beloved Community Leadership Academy. The organisation also provides training and hosts discussions about difficult social issues.
The SCLC Presidency Explained
In October 2009, she became the first woman elected president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.
Her father had helped establish the organisation, so her election attracted considerable attention.
But she never assumed office.
Internal disputes delayed the transition. She also disagreed with the board over the authority she would hold as president.
In January 2011, she declined the position.
She was elected to lead the SCLC, but she did not serve as its president.
Books and Writing
Hard Questions, Heart Answers: Sermons and Speeches
Published in 1996, this collection brings together her sermons and public addresses.
The book records her early work as a minister and gives readers access to her own ideas about faith and responsibility.
It Starts with Me!
She co-wrote this children’s book with educator and author Kimberly P. Johnson. Zoe Ranucci provided the illustrations.
The story follows a young girl named Amora and introduces children to peace and kindness through choices they can understand.
Its message starts close to home: how we treat others matters.
Public Events and Community Work
In 2007, she established the Be A King Scholarship at Spelman College in honour of her mother.
She later led the 2013 “Let Freedom Ring” commemoration marking the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington.
Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter were among its participants.
In March 2018, she had a private audience with Pope Francis.
Her official profile also records work encouraging Atlanta business leaders to support racial equity efforts, including support for Georgia’s hate-crime legislation in 2020.
Family Losses and Disagreements
Her mother died in 2006. Her sister Yolanda died the following year.
On 22 January 2024, her brother Dexter died after living with prostate cancer.
She later shared memories of their childhood and spoke about spending time with him before his death.
The family also experienced public disagreements.
In 2014, a dispute arose over a proposed sale of their father’s Nobel Peace Prize medal and travelling Bible.
The matter was settled in 2016 after Jimmy Carter helped mediate.
Public Views and Criticism
Her public career has included criticism.
In 2004, she joined a march with Bishop Eddie Long opposing same-sex marriage. Her position differed from her mother’s support for gay and lesbian equality.
After the US Supreme Court’s 2015 marriage-equality ruling, she issued a statement calling for LGBT people to be treated with dignity and love.
Both events form part of her public record.
Awards and Honours
Her official profile lists several major recognitions.
| Year | Award |
|---|---|
| 2020 | Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Phoenix Award |
| 2021 | Atlanta Business Chronicle Lifetime Achievement Award for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion |
| 2023 | City of Atlanta Phoenix Award |
She has also received honorary degrees from Wesley College, Clinton College, Spelman College and Grinnell College.
These honours are separate from the law and divinity degrees she earned at Emory.
Current Work
As of October 2026, she continues to lead The King Center.
Its 2026 King Holiday Observance included nonviolence training and programmes for young people, alongside community service activities.
Her professional work also includes economic opportunity initiatives.
The Center lists her involvement with the National Black Bank Foundation and a senior role in corporate partnerships and community impact at Redemption Bank.
Education remains central to her work. She encourages people to study her parents’ ideas and consider how those teachings apply to their actions.
Final Thought
Bernice King grew up with a famous name and a painful family history. Finding her own direction still required years of study and personal decisions.
Her career now connects that history with the work she chose.
Through The King Center, she helps people understand nonviolence as something they can practise. Remembering the message is a start. Acting on it takes daily effort.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Bernice King?
She is an American minister, lawyer and author who serves as CEO of The King Center. She is the youngest child of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King.
When was she born?
She was born on 28 March 1963 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Where did she study?
She earned her psychology degree at Spelman College and completed her law and divinity degrees at Emory University.
Is she a qualified lawyer?
Yes. She earned a Juris Doctor in 1990 and was admitted to the State Bar of Georgia in 1992.
When did she become a minister?
She was ordained in 1990, after delivering her trial sermon at Ebenezer Baptist Church in March 1988.
When did she become CEO of The King Center?
She became CEO in January 2012.
Did she serve as SCLC president?
No. She was elected in 2009 but never assumed office. She declined the position in January 2011.
What books has she written?
She wrote Hard Questions, Heart Answers: Sermons and Speeches and co-wrote It Starts with Me! with Kimberly P. Johnson.
