Alveda King Speaks at Glenn Beck's DC Rally
Pro-Life Advocate Spoke on Anniversary of Her Uncle's "I Have A Dream" Speech
By KEVIN DOLAK
Aug 28, 2010
On the 47th anniversary of her uncle's historic "I Have a Dream" speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, politician and activist Alveda King has joined conservative commentator Glenn Beck at the same spot to bring people together in paying tribute to America's soldiers and "restoring honor" to America.
King, the niece of civil rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr. and daughter of his brother activist A. D. King, is currently the director of African-American outreach at the pro-life group Priests for Life and has recently stepped into the spotlight after several appearances on Beck's radio program.
"I am attending this rally to help reclaim America," she told "Good Morning America's" Ron Claiborne today from Capitol Hill. "I'm joining Glenn to talk about faith, hope, charity, honor. Those are things that America needs to reclaim. Our children need to remember to love each other how to honor each other, their parents, God and their neighbors. I agree with Glenn on all of those principles. So that's why I'm here. For me it's principles over politics."
King, who served as a Democrat in the Georgia House of Representatives from 1979 to 1981, was a keynote speaker at today's non-partisan rally, which also featured speeches from Beck and Sarah Palin.
Throughout her career King has courted controversy as an advocate for the pro-life movement. After having two abortions herself, King began speaking publicly, often at college campuses, about abortion issues. In 1996 she publicly condemned her aunt Coretta Scott King's support of abortion rights.
Earlier this month King grabbed headlines when she equated gay marriage with genocide.
"It is statistically proven that the strongest institution that guarantees procreation and continuity of the generations is marriage between one man and one woman," King said at an Atlanta rally. "We don't want genocide. We don't want to destroy the sacred institution of marriage."
King brushed off criticism that Beck was dishonoring her uncle's legacy by hosting a rally on the anniversary of his most famous speech, stating that the rally is about faith, honor and love, principles that her family has supported.
"My daddy, Rev. A.D. King, my granddaddy, Martin Luther King, Senior -- we are a family of faith, hope and love. And that's why I'm here today," King said. "Glenn says there is one human race, I agree with him. We are not here to divide. I'm about unity. That's why I'm here, and I want to honor my uncle today."
While speaking in front of tens of thousands today in DC, King said that she hopes that white privilege will become human privilege and that America will soon repent of the sin of racism and return itself to honor.