So hopefully you will feel as excited as i feel about the first part of my book tour. Also, this is a very special time of year as we begin to reflect on my fathers birth. His actual birthday being january 15 and of course celebrating as a National Holiday on the 20th, next monday. So as we pause, as the nation pauses to reflect on his teachings, principles, and life work, i hope that we will all remember that the message he left for us is really and truly rooted within being our bests. I always think of the fact that people compare my father to so many great icons. But i would like to think of them first and foremost as daddy. To me, he was just simply someone i could seek refuge in. And i think that the book was for me a great opportunity to get some of these issues out on the table to look back over the span of years and explore the rich legacy that im very proud of being a part of. And the fact that he was a very serious person in public, the public man that we all know, but yet in private he was very funloving. Very playful. In fact, i saw him more of a playmate than actually a father. He really enjoyed having fun and playing with his children. We didnt get a lot of chance to spend a lot of time quantity time. But the quality time we spent was very memorable and enriching. And i talk about these many experience s experiences. But i feel at a young age this tragedy that struck all of us, affected all of uh us 234 some way left a deep seeded feeling of incompletion. So the book in a real sense helped me to bring this tragedy full circle. Because my family really had not dealt with minute fathers death in a real substantial way in a real sense we followed my mothers cample of strength and courageousness. She was stoic at my phat ears death. We didnt get a chance to grieve if you will. We moved on with our lives. As an adult, a young man, i began to realize there were issues that i had not quite resolved that i had not fully put in perspective. So i needed a means for addressing those feelings. And certainly having this opportunity to write this book, to be able to deal with the memoir gave me a sense too of liberation, really. Of, for lack of a better word. And being very cathartic and therapeutic and helping us to see our lives in an objective sense. I also dont know that many people are aware of the string of tragedies that befell my family, not just my father, but my uvengle, my fathers brother who was like a surrogate father after my father left us. And less than a year im sorry a little bit after a year longer than a year, just barely a year after my fathers death, my uncle passed away. And then a few years after that are my grandmother. These are three of the closest people to me in my growing up. And the fact of the matter is, i was very confused with my grandmothers death because she was because of the way she was killed, she was killed in the Church Sanctuary by a during durranged gunman. At that age i was able to experience what death in a practical sense was all about. It had a major impact on me to the point where i questioned why. I asked god the questions of why did this happen to such a wonderful person . My grandfather, my cousin and i walked over to the prison ward of the hospital because the suspect had been apprehended and also had sustained injuries. And to witness my grandfathers testimony, to say to this deranged individual that he actually would forgive him for the heinous act that he committed. And as a 13yearold standing there witnessing this helped to lay the foundation for my sense of healing and my sense of openness and my sense of forgiveness. I also was blauth back whether was brought back to mind that in the late 50s. My father was autographing a book in harlem, new york. And a woman almost took his life at that time. A story that not many people know about. And he forgave the woman that almost took his life from a stabbing that occurred at a book signing in new york. What it told me growing up, what it and he really do have to live your life in such a way that you make the fullest of your life, because you really dont know what tomorrow brings. And it also teaches me that its important to make sure that you have a Strong Spiritual grounding. So that uh you know within yourself that youre being true to yourself and to your dreams. So i am proud to on one hand to have had a rich legacy but also having tragedy and trauma and hopefully in the end can now say i am triumphant over tragedy. So i dont see myself as one who should be in many ways put on a pedestal. That was the one thing growing up that my father and both parents instilled in us. That we were normal ordinary people. I often tell young people that my father did do extraordinary things but he was an ordinary man. And he was a human being who wanted like so many people to be a part of society. He believed in community. A very compassionate person. A really warm person, a giving person. I feel all of that was instilled in my family members. Family members. Im proud to have that heritage. I would say having this opportunity to be in a real sense the first king sibling, if you will, king offspring to have a book at this point to be prevented is a real honor and privilege for me because it took a lot out of me to be able to go inside and reach deep down and tap in to my inner most feelings and my vulnerabilityies and to be true to my own inner voice. And this process really has been liberating for me. So i thank all of you for your interest in my story and the fact that i would always continue to uphold what i feel is a very important legacy. And the book also touches on that fact that while ive always had to balance this duality of obligation in heritage with personal ambition and desire and in a true sense theyve become one. They both represent me in a truly unified sense. So maintaining my identity as my ownself and as my own man but being honored by my phat ears legacy is something im proud of. One of my bosses gave me tough for lack of a better word tough love teteatete where he was simply saying to me, you know, you cant be down on your luck so to speak. You cant feel pity for having lost your father at such a young age. He went on to tell me the fact that not only should i be proud of having one great parent or father but also a great mother and having two examples, two parents that i can emulate and live up to. So, you know, having people like that in my life influences who helped me to become the man that i am today is something that i have to be proud of. So i feel like this process has taken me to a point where i can turn a new leaf that i can focus on some of the things for dexter and one of my father used to say determines and the dimensions of a free life and talked about a healthy selfinterest as opposed to selfishness. Healthy selfinterest helps to enrich our spirit. I feel ive been able to put it in perspective and be true to my calling. I feel its so unique. Its such a unique experience for me to have had this opportunity to really get into the meat of who i am at but not just the son of Martin Luther or Coretta Scott king but a king in my own right. Remember this great adventure and as we embark upon this Great Holiday and the new definition of what my father defined as greatness. He defined greatness through service to others. The greatest among you shall be your servant. Let us remember that really the king holiday is not a day off but a day on and day that we should be giving back to the community. We need to use that opportunity to do for those who cannot do for themselves. I want to thank each and every one of you. At this time, i dont know, are we going to open it up . At this time well take questions or comments. Yes, sir . My mother is well. Shes business spi as ever. She travels more than i do. And i dont know how she does that. We keep track. Were trying to slow her down. But at the same time, i feel like thats what keeps her going and energizes her. As long as shes happy thats the important thing. Thank you for asking. Do you have any fears in your life . Im sorry . Do you have any fears in your life . No, not in a real sense. I try to live life without looking over my shoulder so to speak. That would be frustrating. Growing up i talk about in the book we were always under the threat of danger. I remember in school, there were kidnap threats levied on my family and we had teachers going to school, well Police Officers posing as teachers and that type of thing. And i kind of joked about the fact that my brother and i when we were going driving around as teenagers do and we have the cop car following us around, like cramping our style. We couldnt be kids. Danger was the constant companion. We didnt live our lives that way. We were encouraged to live a normal life. How have you helped your mom deal with the threat of danger. Sorry, how have i helped her . No how did she deal with it. Shes done well. It brought tears to my eyes to see that she and my father met and subsequently got married, the they were in new england or boston at the time. They had a lot of privileges they didnt have come back to the south. The conservatory. New england conservatory studying music or concert singer. They had to make a choice do we go back to the south and give up some of the privileges, just simply going to the opera or ballet or any of the art type events without having the opportunity opportunity. Like in the south, you knew you would be in balcony or you would have to enter from the rear. It sounds like nonsense to kids of this day. It brought tears to my eyes for them both in the early 20s think of what we were doing at that point to say, no. We have a contribution to make, we have to go back to our homeland in the south to make it better for all people. That inspired me to let me know that she actually in many ways inspired him and gave him a lot of the impetus. She was a peace activist at antijobbing college long before she met my father. So the fact of the matter is that she paid her dues in many ways so when they met, it was almost as if it was a natural partnership. She continued after his death by institutionalizing and i feel many ways popularizing. In america, were in to symbols and a holiday is the time we can reflect and all of the work that she did to raise the consciousness of his work and legacy is probably the greatest tribute she could pay in the lasting institutional sense. How long did it take you write this book . Id say about four years. You spent a lot of time on this. Yes i did. What your dreams and aspirations . Im a creative person. I always have been. I have a love of music and a love for any type of Creative Outlet that allows my voice to shine through. I think having grown up in a musical family my mom and even my dad. I thought his oratory voice was very melodic. Thats their calling card so to speak. They may talk the talk but not walk his walk. We need to understand i hear people come up to me on the airport or wherever oh i read this great book about your dad. I say thats wonderful. But have you read his writing or my dads writing. The same thing is we dont have to guess. I dont know how he did in the sense that he chronicled his work as it was happening. So, sure, it may take time to piece it all together, but it is there. We dont have to allow an interpretation. Lets read about selma, montgomery birmingham. So many stories there, stories within stories that can give you insight on how all of this came about as a human being. What he was feeling. What the people around them were feeling. So lets not allow anybody, no matter who it is to tell us how we should do what we know is right. And its really selfempowerment. Yes, sir . Probably dont remember me. Not even a question. I met you back in 1987. And in new jersey. Atlantic city, new jersey. And a good book that would be would be a testament of hope in the writings of dr. King. And in there is one of the greatest features your father gave. And i told you that in Atlantic City it was a drum major instinct. And so many parallels like this today. But at that time i told you that since i was able to purchase a tape in anything after your father went with the good lord, i would put myself to sleep listening to your fathers speeches on tape. And that shaped a lot of my life. I said one day when i had children that i would teach my children what your father had speech and lived. Next to my bible was that book. I know it by heart. I want you to know i kept that promise to you and i instilled all those things for my father. God bless you. [ applause ] Jesse Jackson compliment to your dad . An asset to your life or a liability . Reverend jackson in many ways has made a lot of contributions to the efforts of social change and civil rights. Certainly without his voice in the community, a lot of issues would go unnoticed. Thats not to say in any way that reverend jackson is perfect. We know hes had personal challenges in more recent times. I think you have to judge a person, the good with the bad. And you have to look at it in totality. Certainly theres a lot that can be done that maybe hes not addressing. But, again i think that goes back to the point that i made just a minute ago. But i dont think its fair to place the burden on any one person. Because i find myself in that position where people come up to me. And when im doing interviews a lot. What do you think the problem how should black people deal with this or that or race. The im saying its not just a black issue. Its a human issue. And until we elevate it to the level of the people of goodwill versus people of ill will, doesnt matter what color your skin is because the issues are the same that affects all. And that to me is the spiritual part that we have not evolved to that my father i feel was trying to take us to. He kept saying dont focus on me, the man focus on the message. I wont be here, i wont get to the Promised Land with you. But we as a people will. Because he understood if you focused on him once he was gone, everybody would be down and oh where do we go now and lost. No go within yourself. I challenge everyone to not put anyone on a pedestal in terms of a mortal being. Were all fallible. Were prone to make mistakes. No one is perfect. Its a collective of all of us working in collective consciousness that makes a difference. Every time he says something, hes under attack. I kind pof wonder how if your dad was living, i always think about that if he was living how would he be received today . I always think about that. I think thats interesting because near the end of his life, it was probably the most depressing part of his life of his journey. Its very interesting that when my father gave the i have a dream speech he was uplifted and applauded when he won the nobel peace prize. He was time man of the year. He was applauded. In fact, he was the media darling. But the minute he took a stand against the establishment, the war in vietnam, the poverty issue, when he wanted to organize the, quote original Rainbow Coalition of poor appalachian, white native americans, mexican chicano, mexicanamericans, rather, and africanamericans to come to washington to deal with poverty this time not jobs, peace, and freedom like in 63. But to deal with the real issues of poverty that at that time the Johnson Administration had this quote, war on poverty. And congress had allocated funds to deal with this issue. But yet we know that the funds went to the vietnam war. Well, the fact of the matter is i dont know how he would have been received. After his death or today. He was under so much pressure a character assassination. All kinds of attacks spiritually, even people within his ranks his colleagues because he took a stand and there were those who said other civil rights leaders who said you know cant attack the war. And he said you know i if im the last person to take a stand, i will do that. Because its right to take a stand. But he could not be bought. Some of them had to take the position they took. He said i dont blame you. I understand. Maybe you received a grant or maybe your organization cant be proactive. Maybe you have to be more politically correct. He understood those realities but could not allow his conscious to be governed by that. Who knows . Maybe death for him was really the ultimate statement in martyrism and terms of his message getting out there. Because the truth is people may not have listened if he had lived. Its a strange duality. I dont know if any of us are prepared to answer that question. [ question off mic ] sure. I would acknowledge and say that his speech his i have a dream speech he said he wished his children would be judged by the color of their skin but the content of their character. The part i disliked is the affirmative action they used that for Martin Luther king and a lot of people voted against affirmative action. They dont think dr. King said in another book. Where to go from here he said the negro is behind 200 years behind. And hes 200 years behind. Take, for example, a baseball player a runner is behind 200 yards, years, how can they catch up without giving the negro something extra . Give him a little leeway a little head start. Thats where i took my affirmative action. My for affirmative actions. Im a writer. I wrote about dr. King and respect for kids and every year we have a Martin Luther king program in the civic center in west covina. The youth dont know that much about king. And giving a symposium about what did dr. King do. And anyone who wants to come can come by the library at 3 30. What did dr. King really do . I had eight things he did. One was a letter which it really it was his most published work the letter from the birmingham jail. Read to the clergy and he told them off in a way i dont believe in america that the people behind the stained glass win dopes are the very ones on this earth promoting evil. And another one was when he was stoned in chicago. When he was stoned. The family went to live in chicago in the slums and the gauge District Section of chicago, thats what it was. And stoned him because he went out to speak marching against slum lords. Thats the first time i remember slum lords. He may have coined that phrase landlords, slum lords. He was stoned not to death but stoned. He did so many things. He was asked to go he was asked to go to other peoples marches that wasnt his cause like the sitins. That wasnt his cause. They called expecting him, youve got to come. You didnt want to go to memphis but he came because the two men sitting in the garbage truck, a sanitation truck someone pulled a lever and crushed him. But there was a riot that broke out. So he went home in march, 28 i think. Back in april made him come back said we need you, we need you. Thats when he met his death when he went back there and did that speech the mountain top speech april 3 and Bishop Charles mason auditorium there in memphis, the site of the Pentacostal Church movement. So im a Martin Luther king follower. I see [ applause ] i think that most and thank you for that display of great historical facts. On a serious point, though, the fact of the matter is my father in so many ways his message and legacy has been defined by the media. I dont say that in a pejorative sense. Im saying that the visual media is limited in terms of what it can exploit by way of sound bites. Frankly, the i have a dream speech i referred to it as the top 40 of my fathers repertoire. It was a hit song if you will. There were many many more speeches sermons and the repertoire which warner books has done a great job in compiling many of those and a lot of people dont realize that they have not heard it all. Thats the other sad part of it is because of his greatness in such a short period of time the great level of greatness he achieved, people feel like, oh i already heard that i already heard the story. They overlook it. But the truth is we published some unpublished neverbeforeheard speeches and sermons in recent times that may not have received the commercial success because people dont know, as i said. And the last thing is you know the i have a dream sound bite and the very eloquent point you made about clauses using the content of your character for maybe their cause. Im not saying its disingenuous. Because they may very well believe that. But what im trying to remind them is my father spoke a lot of times in metaphor. And the beginning part of the speech which most people never heard or read or he talks about, as you know, the problem, the bad check that america wrote to its negro citizens. And basically were coming back to the bank of justice because we know its not bankrupt to ask for our rights. So the beginning part of the speech talked about the condition. The last part of the speech is ideal. What you should be working towards. There are those who want to fast forward to deal with the reality of where we are. We have to do both. It really is about balance. Your father worked for my life. Especially why cant we wait but its very powerful. How seeing your grandmother and father killed how do those things affect you in terms of your spirituality and your relationship with god . I did have questions as a 13yearold, as i said watching my grandmother be gunned down in a church. Thats very traumatic. I think it was my grandfather who told us. And i talked about this in the book how he called us all together and said you know i have to stay around. Because at first he was talking crazy saying maybe i need to go on home and meet my maker. And then he said, you know he lost the closest thing to him. The bunch as he called it short for bunch of goodness. My grandmother, big mama referred to them as such a sweet woman. Didnt harm anyone. So it just seemed so out of place. It happened to him. The gunman loved coming to get him. But it so happened that he was not in the pulpit that sunday. But you know, not that we would have accepted it but we knew he was more visible and that kind of thing. But, again my grandfather helped us to understand through his Strong Spiritual noun dagues that it was not for us to question this. That this is gods will and that he had Something Better in store for her. But what made it work for me was for me to say he had grandchildren left. He said you have to be thankful for what you have left. And before he was thinking maybe he would go on home. But now he realized he had to be here for us. He stayed around another ten years. He said you know im thankful i have my grandchildren left. The message was be thankful for what you have left. Anything else. I had people that you wouldnt know. Not famous people. But people in my life along the way who have given me lessons, kernels of inspiration. I tend to value not so much what a person says but what they do. People many people can talk the talk. But very few people can walk the walk. What inspires me is not someone who can live by example. Not many of us are perfect. No no way im saying that in the a hypocritical short because we all fall short. But for me my dad was such a great example that stepping outside of the son is the fact that he practiced what he preached and that is what separated him from the great oratory or the gift. Baptist preachers, there was never a shortage of people who could say those very powerful words. But to apply it in a sense. I know growing up living in a city and in a neighborhood growing up when hi grandfather wanted us to live in a middle class neighborhood because People Living on the mountain. If youre standing on the mountain shouting theyre in the valley, they cant hear you. They made sure you grew up in an environment that he took us to live in the slums. I remember living in a riottorn community. Watching the rioting and everything. All of that shaped me growing up in terms of my character. To me, its not just talking the talk. Its living your life by example that inspires me. I can only tell you what came out in the trial in december of 99. There was a wrongful death file in memphis and its very detailed because i wont go into it now because its well chronicled in the book. The end result is that in a period of month, 70 witnesses testified that do have in my opinion credible evidence that it was entered into the public record. And at the end of that trial, a juror of 12 men and women, which i considered to be very independent, half black, half white, young, sold male female theyre equally mixed down the middle. Came back in less than two hours with a verdict that there was indeed a government conspiracy to kill my father. This gentleman was considered to be a cog, a small cog in a big machine. But if you ever, you know take the time to do the research the trial transcripts are available on the king centers website on the king center. Org and the book talks about it, touches on it. Thank you for the book. Coming from a travel agent, what are the hobbies or interests . Can you tell thaws . Unfortunately, i dont get as much time as i would like to so im now starting to get back into it. One of the ways that i accessed my Creative Outlet was to pay tribute first and foremost to my dads holiday, the first National Holiday by doing a record producing a record. It was like a we are the world type of compilation with many young artists. And it featured everyone from Whitney Houston to run dmc. And it was actually a mixed rap and song, singing and rap combined a way of educating our young people about my dads message in a way that was not so preachy, yet fun and creative. So that was one of the things that i was really proud of. Because it accomplished a lot of things. But when i see a lot of the artists today in fact, part of that record was recorded right here in pasadena. I recorded new addition that time, the Group New Edition right here in pasadena and the studio owners were very generous enough to donate the studio time. In fact, the entire project was labor of love. So im looking to express and get back into it. Im producing some film and Television Projects as well. So im using my voice in many different ways, actually. Thank you. Thank you. What does the king center do . The king center is the official living memorial to my father and institutional guardian. But what it does primarily is educate the public about his legacy and work. We do that through many programs, the most visible time of the year is during the National King holiday. I talk about the fact that service is a big part of what we promote. We have a strong presence where were developing and teaching modules to kids to learn about how to resolve conflicts with violence without violence nonviolently. And many other programs that you can learn about. Time for one more . One more. [ question is off mic ] a couple of days ago, i heard that and it seems that there was truly a spirit within the people who are demonstrating right now against a and the speech was correct for what is going on now. Yes. Its hard for me to yeah, you said you wanted to know more about my brother . You said . Recently . A while ago. My brother, of course sh the name sake. He has such an awesome burden as Martin Luther king iii. I think he wears it well. His personality is more geared to that. Im more of a behindthescenes person. But he heads the organization that my father founded, the southern christian Leadership Conference which is really more of a direct action activist organization. It really is for lack of the better word, the front Line Organization with the king legacy. So you will see him and hear him from time to time speaking out on very topical issues of the day. And i will certainly pass on to him that you youre inspired by his, you know speeches and the spirit. I think he really he has a big heart and he cares about people, sometimes to his detriment. And i always say to him the key to any public life, if youre giving your life to public service, you have to balance it because you want to be around so you can continue to give back, to receive and to give. This has been wonderful. I could do this all evening. We have to cut it short. Thank you for the interest. I can feel the energy and feel your spirits and the real sincere and genuine questions you pose and comments youve made. Please continue to keep my fathers dream alive and may god continue to bless each and every one of you. Youre watching American History tv. 48 hours of programming on American History every weekend on cspan 3. Follow us on twitter at cspan history for energy on our schedule, upcoming programs, and to keep up with the latest history news