Bernice King reflects on father’s legacy near 50th anniversary of March on Washington

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Are you hopeful about any of the current civil rights movements or protests? What do you think of the efforts of groups like the Dream Defenders, and similar groups who have become galvanized in recent months?

You always remain hopeful whenever people are passionate, whenever people are willing to make sacrifice; you’re hopeful because part of transformation and change is a commitment. It’s a willingness to make sacrifices. It’s important that in our effort to bring about change and transformation, we recognize that we cannot do it in silo. That was one of the main things my father charged us with when he was living. It’s one thing for us to come together, but we have to find a way to stay together.

We have to come up with strategies and tactics that have long-term benefits for the masses, and that takes a whole other level of commitment and stamina. While I am hopeful because of the initial level of commitment, I am also hopeful because of the passion particularly in the next generation because none of this will happen without the next generation. As passionate and committed as I am, I don’t have the same level of energy and strength that I once had. It requires that kind of feel, energy and strength that comes from a younger generation.

I’m hopeful, but I’m also cautious because unless there is a way in which people can be galvanized together toward a common goal, I’m not sure how much progress we will make, and certainly how much transformation will take place. My father made a statement to the extent that a movement that moves people is a revolt. A movement that changes people and systems is a revolution. Time will only tell whether this is a revolution, or we’re revolting against the system in terms of the end results of whatever the target or the action is.

I hope and pray that it is a revolution because to Daddy and them, that’s what it was. It was a revolution and people were changed; people’s hearts were changed, but at the end of the day it’s not just about the legislation. It’s not just about law. That’s not enough. If we don’t have people whose hearts have been changed — now committed to humanity, and treating people with dignity, respect, and understanding, knowing that we all are created in the image and light of God, that we all are valuable — then the change will roll back.

Bayard Rustin, a close adviser to your father and the organizer of the 1963 march, was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Obama this year. While Rustin and Dr. King both struggled against racial turmoil, Rustin also endured another struggle, facing discrimination as a gay, black man. Some think because of his sexuality, his contributions have often been overlooked. Does Rustin’s life impact your view of the legacy of the march, given your previous remarks against gay marriage?

I look at Bayard Rustin as a master organizer and as a strategist. I think he made invaluable contributions to the Civil Rights Movement that cannot be overlooked or undermined. We celebrate that and salute that. But one of the things I was hopeful for, and I’m glad it is happening in other respects, is that going into this all the individuals and organizers that helped to organize the 1963 March on Washington would be honored. We were talking about the NAACP, the Urban League, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in particular because they are still around, as well as the National Council of Negro Women.

The involvement of women is underplayed and not discussed enough. None of this probably would have happened had it not been for the work of women, though they did not get the recognition. These women and organizations, in addition to Bayard Rustin, because of his tremendous contribution, and John Lewis, being the last living speaker from that time period, also deserve to be remembered. I certainly agree with and salute Rustin for being honored in that way for his tremendous contribution.

I try to look at things in context. In ’63, Bayard Rustin was focused on helping advance the cause of African-Americans in the South, in the country. That’s what his involvement was during that time period in working with my father. They were focused on social and economic justice. It does not affect my perspective. In context, we honor him for the work that he did – that was tremendous work; that was groundbreaking work that he did in the ’50s and ’60s.

We’re talking about remembering 1963 and the March on Washington. We’re talking about what that really was about. Daddy framed it for us; he said at the beginning of his speech, 100 years later, the Negro is still not free. What I have to keep sounding an alarm about is that 150 years later, the masses of Negro people, black people, African-Americans, are still not free. There has to be a concerted effort to ensure that the African-American community is not lost in this whole process as we continue to progress and go forward. When we all started this in ’63, we were first and foremost looking at the state of the African-American community. Now we’ve moved forward, and continue to move forward. We forgot about that. We’ve left that behind.

Follow Dominique Mann on Twitter @dominiquejmann