Badawi. I am in charleston, the biggest city in the state of South Carolina in the south of america. Todayit carolina in the south of america. Today it is sunny and picturesque, but charlestons prosperity was built on the back of the slave trade. Nearly half of all of americas slaves arrived at this port. Behind me, the slave market, where they were sold and bought. The struggle for freedom has where they were sold and bought. The struggle forfreedom has been where they were sold and bought. The struggle for freedom has been long and bloody. One of the most iconic fighters was Martin Luther king. My guest is his daughter, dr bernice king. What does she make of Race Relations today . Dr bernice king, welcome to hardtalk. Thank you for having me. You are ceo of the king centre in atlanta, georgia, like your late father, Martin Luther king. You preach coexistence. When you look around the world today, including the united states, do you existence . You certainly see it in various places. When i travel around the nation and the world, i see it. But we have a lot of work to do in terms of understanding different cultures and appreciating them and respecting them in finding a common way to move forward in society. Because, you know, we have a society of laws and opportunity. That is where much of the friction lies. Just looking at the united states, algernon austin, an African American, says america is not post racial. He says the Civil Rights Movement of the 50s and 60s failed more than it succeeded. He thinks that you did not make progress on segregation. He says today in my city, washington, dc, more than a third white, there is not a white child in any of the schools in mind neighbourhood. My. I would not say it failed. I would say it is a progression. Obviously, there is still discrimination that process, and sometimes it is difficult to prove. Exists. Thank god there are laws in place now that were not when my father was alive. I would say someone father was alive. I would say someone who can define it very clearly, we lost his voice. No one has. No one has emerged since that time to really articulate the movement the way he did. Some would argue the black lives Matter Campaign is trying to claim a kind of voice in the community. And looking at their stand, it would seem looking at their stand, it would seem to suggest that they think there is actually a great or more that has to be achieved, for example, if you look at the take a knee protests, it suggests there is still very overt discrimination going on. There is. But look at it like a glass is half empty, half full way. There is racism that is overt. But there is also brotherhood and sisterhood in some communities and sisterhood in some communities and in some relationships. Either way, i look at it through my mothers quote, struggle is a never ending process. We lost ground from my fathers assassination up until this time period because we we re until this time period because we were not vigilant. Staying with the take a knee protest, that has given visibility to the discrimination, and you support it . Do you support it . I support the right to protest and standby your conscience. What i would like to be able to do is to help further that kind of movement. My help further that kind of movement. My father had a philosophy of nonviolence and supple and steps. Most people do not understand that there is a reason and a rationale for protest in my fathers philosophy. I am for protest in my fathers philosophy. Iam not for protest in my fathers philosophy. I am not saying that the way people protest is wrong these days. But we called it direct action, designed to bring about attention to get back to bargaining on the negotiation table where you set out to work things out. David, a columnist in the new york times, i believe donald trump is not only wrong but deliberately picking a fight with African Americans to appeal to his base. Fight with African Americans to appealto his base. Nevertheless, he says i disagree with the kneeling protest because it alienates people who could be persuaded to the cause. It is difficult. You have to explain dr kings philosophy. It is not a matter of whether he is wrong and their right and his right or their wrong and his wrong, it is about understanding the context in the spirit of dr king. I think both are right because the negotiation and direct action are part of the process , direct action are part of the process, but you have to note when direct action comes into play. Know. And so i would say that i support peoples right to stand by their conscience and what they believe is right. My father used to say we have a right to protest for right. Do you think is approach is releva nt right. Do you think is approach is relevant in the 21st century . There has always been a debate. People can debate until the cows come home. Truth always prevails. At the end of the day, it is very relevant to bite this African American lawyer said in october this year i think that in this era, the idea you get in the moral high ground by wearing a suit and tie and being nonviolence, by Singing Church songs, that strategy is not effective in the 21st century. I would say he is ignorant of my fathers philosophy, with all respect. He does not understand it. He has not studied it up it is not about a suit and tie. It is not about a suit and tie. It is not about singing songs. It is direct confrontation in a non violent spirit and confrontation in a non violent spiritand in confrontation in a non violent spirit and in a manner against injustice and wrongdoing. Could it bea injustice and wrongdoing. Could it be a generational thing . Barbara reynolds said in 2015, she was an activist in the 1960s, she says black lives matter seems intent on rejecting proven methods. The 19605 method had respectability and love and unity. Spirituality a5 method had respectability and love and unity. Spirituality as well. That is not a high priority for lack lives matter. I agree. That is not a high priority for lack lives matter. Iagree. That is not a high priority for lack lives matter. I agree. Black lives matter. Do you think younger generations do not understand the spirituality . I think they are searching for it, not that they are not understanding it. At some point they will land on it. In a nutshell, what would you say his underlying philosophy is that underpins what you think should be done in terms of the friction . First of all, you have to have a commitment to reconciliation. That determines everything, how do you approach things. You have to have a commitment to win win, not one to winning over people, but Winning People over. Clearly, things are not going in the right wait. disagree. This is what you said quite recently, we are heading to race riot5 if we are not careful, we cannot keep the divisiveness going. I. 1. Cannot keep the divisiveness going. If is cannot keep the divisiveness going. If is a keyword, it does not translate to it will. We have the opportunity to turn things around. If people do not pause and really study dr king, we could end there. He was a prophet, he told everyone what to do and he predicted what is going on. Going on, for example. If we do not actively pursue justice in any nation, tension is going to grow, and turmoil in the streets will persist. He said that. You are referring to charlottesville, in augu5t, for example, with a White Nationalist rally. That is an incident of it. What is happening with Law Enforcement in the streets. All of it. Just a few miles away, the reverend of the church where your father used to bridge, the reverend of the church where yourfather used to bridge, take a preach, he says it is getting worse. It is in some ways. I work with some minister5, black and white, trying to overcome the divide with pastors trying to understand each others world. They have a programme called better together. We have a talk at the king centre trying to get people together. My father said people hate each other because they fear each other, they fear because they dont know, they dont know because they dont communicate. We have to get to know each other. Part of what is happening in america is ignorance. U nfortu nately, happening in america is ignorance. Unfortunately, the media is furthering that divide. When we listen to staff, traditional media, social media, we react. Stuff. We have to learn how to live together, a5 have to learn how to live together, as my father said. One big fla5hpoint at the moment between White Nationalists and black people i5 White Nationalists and black people is over the symbols of the era when slavery exi5ted. Where do you stand on that . Statue5 of robert e lee, the confederate leader during the slave era, for example, do you think 5uch 5tatue5 should remain in place . I believe we are in a season where we have to bring voices together and find a win win solution. I have personal beliefs. I believe those things long in one immen5e. Belong in monuments. But we need to le55en belong in monuments. But we need to lessen the tension with those who believe in those memorials. We need to help them better understand why there is a reaction to those monuments. Their right to make different types of monuments, tho5e built to honour tho5e different types of monuments, tho5e built to honour those in the confederacy, and those built during the time of segregation. Bash, there are two different. Which should remain . You have to separate them. Some are part of the confederacy, some designed to send a message of oppression to African Americans at the time. They belong in a museum is to move forward. But in order to get them there, we have to talk it through and get people together non violently. If you force people, it leads seeds of violence in its wake. You said racism needs to be dealt its final blow. Are we any closer to that . I think we are purging in america. Things hidden are coming to the surface. For too long we have let things be brushed under the rug. Now things are coming toa under the rug. Now things are coming to a head. You have more all the cultural voices coming together like never before. Multi cultural. This is the first time in the history of our nation the issue of White Supremacy and White Privilege has ever been addressed or faced, like never before. You have white people, i know this personally, who are talking about White Privilege like it is a problem. That has never happened before. People saying that White Supremacy has to be done away with. Thank god for the con5ciou5ne55 they have raised. When did that began . when did that began . I think it is the last three or four mac year5. When did that began . I think it is the last three or four mac years. I think it emerged from black lives matter, it emerged from that young generation who rose up and brought to our consciousness. Generation who rose up and brought to our consciousness. There is a group of individuals, america, that you still have refused to deal with, in terms of value. When barack obama gave his farewell addre55 in terms of value. When barack obama gave his farewell address as president , he admitted america is still president , he admitted america is 5till divided on race. He said race remains a potent and often divisive force in our society. Do you think he could have done more . force in our society. Do you think he could have done more . I think everybody could have done more. I would never say that he is the only one who could have done more. All of us one who could have done more. All of us could have done more. We have not been persistent in dealing with the i55ue. Been persistent in dealing with the issue. We kind of touch it, and we move on to the next thing. We are going to. This is the issue of our day that we are going to have to addre55. And if not, you know, it is going to get worse. Riots, and more division . Possibly, yes. Yes. When you say president obama could have done more, do you want to be more specific . What specifically more could he have done . Well, i mean, he could he have done . Well, i mean, he could have challenged leaders in different sectors to create atmosphere and environments to begin, you know, formulating an approach to addressing it, in their different circles of influence. You know, i think everybody could have done that, you know. But i think, as the leader of the nation, he could have done more of that. And what about the current president . Well, he has had moments after moments to do it. And for whatever reason, we are afraid as a nation to deal with racism, as the world, to deal with racism. It is notjust america. Is donald trump afraid to deal with racism, do you think . |j donald trump afraid to deal with racism, do you think . I think most leaders are afraid the deal, including president trump, i think most arejust afraid including president trump, i think most are just afraid to deal with it. I mean, it is. First of all, it. I mean, it is. First of all, it is not going to be something that we will conquer overnight. It is a lifelong pursuit. As a child, the youngest child of Martin Luther king, you were five when he was assassinated. You were born, though, ata high assassinated. You were born, though, at a high point in his life, it really, when he received the nobel prize, peace prize, when he made his famous i have a dream speech in 1963. You carry the king name. Obviously you try to continue his work. Do you see that legacy as something very positive, or do you feel that it is a burden in some ways . Feel that it is a burden in some ways . No, i feel inspired feel that it is a burden in some ways . No, ifeel inspired by it. I feel a sense of responsibility. At one point, it was a burden. But now it is so much a part of me, i welcome part of me. You know, the only burden i feel is the burden that he felt, which is, will we ever wa ke that he felt, which is, will we ever wake up to who we really are as humanity . To understand our value to each other . That is the burden i carry on a daily basis. You said at one time you felt that it was a bit ofa one time you felt that it was a bit of a burden, one time you felt that it was a bit ofa burden, but one time you felt that it was a bit of a burden, but now you see it as something that is positive and enriching. Just explain a bit more. Was it something you have had to grapple with . Well, yes, yes. The first part of it, because i was called to the minister at a young age, i was called at 17, i didnt really a nswer age, i was called at 17, i didnt really answer until i was just about 45. And really answer until i was just about a5. And then, in the early stages of accepting my calling, and then beginning to preach, i wanted to find bernice, iwanted beginning to preach, i wanted to find bernice, i wanted to find my voice. I wanted to see where i was congruent, and not just voice. I wanted to see where i was congruent, and notjust be due pyg ott of congruent, and notjust be due pygott of my father and mother. And soi pygott of my father and mother. And so i spent many years not even doing a lot of reading, of his books, or listening to his sermons, until i knew for sure, listening to his sermons, until i knewforsure, ok, listening to his sermons, until i knew for sure, ok, this is who i am, this is what i accept in life. And then i started to approach a little bit more. Before then it was like, i dont want to deal with this, because people are going to always because people are going to always be comparing me to them, and i had to get comfortable with being me, and understanding what my mother told me as a child, me and my siblings. You dont have to be me, this is what she said, you do not have to be met, you do not have to be your father, just be your best self. How have your siblings dealt with it . I your older sister, the old est with it . I your older sister, the oldest child died in 2007 at a young age. She was only 51. You had two brothers, Martin Luther king the third, and dexter. You seem to be one who is continuing. No, i think my brother martin is doing it as well, he is just my brother martin is doing it as well, he isjust not my brother martin is doing it as well, he is just not a my brother martin is doing it as well, he isjust not a preacher. But he is doing it as well. He is doing ita he is doing it as well. He is doing it a lot of travelling, carrying some of the messages that i carry all over the place. And so i wouldnt say that it is not carrying, but we are carrying it out in different ways. Dexter is a little bit more reserved than personal. He doesnt do public speaking, he doesnt feel co mforta ble speaking, he doesnt feel comfortable in that space. And so i think each one of us are doing it in different ways. You know, what has helped all of us, because we have talked about it before, if our mother had put pressure on us, it would have been really hard. But she took that pressure off, and that has helped us to process through the external pressure that we have in different seasons of our life. You know, bereavement has been a really defining feature of your life, hasnt it . You lost your sister, yolanda, obviously your father was shot dead, your uncle was found mysteriously dead in a Swimming Pool mysteriously dead in a Swimming Pool. Father assassinated, yes. Your mother died of cancer in 2006. I mean, how has that affected you . M has affected me a lot. A lot of lost and separation, and you know, ideal with issues of abandonment all the time. I have processed through anger from time to time. I still deal with angen from time to time. I still deal with anger. I have the discipline myself so the anger doesnt overtake you. Depressed moments, as well . Yes, i have depressed moments. I miss my mother, especially, and my sister, because you know, i knew my mother, i was close to my mother. My father isa i was close to my mother. My father is a different story. And so, you know, i have days when i am very sad. But what i take with me is the lesson is that each one of them taught me in different ways. My father more vicariously, but my mother directly. My sister, etc, and that what keeps me going with my faith, my strong faith. |j that what keeps me going with my faith, my strong faith. I know obviously you were only five when your father died, but if he were here and were to look around him at Race Relations today in the united states, what do you think his opinion would be . I dont think he would have an opinion per se i think he would repeat the things. One of the things i said to you earlier, that we have to deal with the issue of justice, that we have to deal with the issue ofjustice, or that we have to deal with the issue of justice, or else we that we have to deal with the issue ofjustice, or else we are going to continue to see the growing tension and the turmoil in the streets. And none of this stuff would surprise my father at all. Would he think the struggle had been in vain, for example, when he sees. struggle had been in vain, for example, when he sees. I think he would be disappointed. Disappointed that more efforts had not been made to embrace some of the things we talked about, the radical revolution of values, that we begin to become more of a person Centred Society than being Centred Society. That we deal with the triple evils of what he called poverty, racism and militarism. And so i think he would be disappointed that in the 50 years that he has been gone, that people did not take up that mantle persistently as a whole. And when i say people, i dont mean individuals. I mean people of conscience did not work collectively together persistently. The movement was a collection of people of conscience, a coalition of conscience, a coalition of conscience, that moved together under his leadership persistently. That is what has been absent today. You have People Living in pockets, but they are not doing it in a collaborative, consistent way. Couldnt that leader be you . collaborative, consistent way. Couldnt that leader be you . I dont know about that. I do know about that. I have no idea, only god knows that. I have no idea, only god knows that. And, you know. Well, you wa nted that. And, you know. Well, you wanted to be when you were a teenager. You know, my father was a relu cta nt teenager. You know, my father was a reluctant leader. Iam teenager. You know, my father was a reluctant leader. I am a reluctant leader. And he didnt choose to lead the movement, you know. He was catapulted. He was elected by a group of people, and destiny had him, and he accepted. And that is how it occurred. So, you know, i dont pursue leadership. What i try to do is to lend my voice to different situations, and i will continue to do that. Bernice king, thank you very much indeed for coming on hardtalk. Thank you, i appreciate it. Hello again, good morning. This is the first widespread cold night of the season. It has been a very mild month so far. Weve still got a few showers, actually, running down the north sea by the morning, hitting some coastal areas of england. But otherwise, with that High Pressure building in, it has led to clear skies, light winds, and temperatures have fallen away sharply, particularly in the countryside, where there will be at least a grass frost, and perhaps, in some areas, an air frost as well. Either way, a cold start in the morning, there will be a lot of sunshine around, mind you. The showers around norfolk, suffolk, fading through the morning, and then some changes in the north west. We are trying to get back into that atlantic air. And that means weak weather fronts bringing in some more cloud into Northern Ireland and scotland. That is bringing some cloud and perhaps some rain to the north. Generally, most places dry into the afternoon. Well probably see more cloud coming into northern england, wales, and the midlands in the afternoon. High cloud, but it does mean it is quite chilly in the day across these areas. Temperatures eight or nine degrees or so. Where we hang onto some sunshine in southern england we will see 11 degrees. But with the clear skies, there is a risk of frost on monday night, particularly early on. It takes a little while for mild air to reach here, but mild air is on the way, and temperatures will be rising on tuesday. We have this strengthening west to south westerly wind, and that means a lot of cloud. Well see some rain developing in scotland. Some heavy rain across the hills in scotland. But most of england and wales will be fine. Still some sunshine in the south east, and temperatures a little bit higher, at 13 or 1a degrees. High pressure that weve got building in the uk right now is going to be across Central Europe by tuesday and wednesday. These weather fronts coming around the top of that bringing some more rain for the first day of november. And that rain, again, for scotland, especially the west, possibly Northern Ireland later, but again for england and wales, dry. Pleasantly warm, winds light, too. The weather front weakened as it moves its way southwards. Not much rain on thursday. But the High Pressure means it could be a touch cooler in northern parts of the uk, maybe a touch of grass frost in some areas. Otherwise, generally a dry and bright day with sunshine. Still the threat of some rain lingering across the channel and into southern england. Coldest weather over the week ahead probably right now. It will turn milder on tuesday and wednesday, with increasing cloud, but not much rain away in the north west. Im rico hizon in singapore. This is newsday. Our top stories saying no to independence. Supporters of a united spain stage a huge protest in barcelona, calling for catalonias sacked leader to be jailed. Picking up the pieces in the filipino city of marawi, which for five months saw desperate battles to push islamic militants out of the city. Im kasia madera in london. Also in the programme the last stage of the elaborate funeral ceremony for thailands king who died last year. India celebrates successfully staging the under 17 world cup but will the cricket crazy nation catch football fever . Live from our studios in singapore and london,