Martin Luther King III reflects on legacy, love and new beginnings

Martin Luther King III explores new ways of understanding legacy and success.

“Life should be a legacy of love,” said the eldest son of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King for TribLive. “My father spoke of agape love … the love that is totally selfless and seeks nothing in return. If we can reflect that type of love, we can dramatically change the nation and the world.”

King, a global human rights activist and author, asked the following question: “How do I put more love into the world? How do I instill something that uplifts and not oppresses? And most importantly, how do I create the climate so that everyone is treated with dignity and respect ?”

King’s reflections came days before Martin Luther King Jr. Day, who was observed Monday, follows the Tuesday release of his book, “What Is My Legacy?: Realizing a New Dream of Connection, Love, and Fulfillment,” written with his wife. , Arndrea Waters King and Marc and Craig Kielburger.

Based on Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter From Birmingham Jail”, King emphasizes moral responsibility.

They also often share the parable of the two wolves, where a girl tells her grandmother about a battle inside her between one wolf full of hatred and division and another full of love, peace and justice. The grandmother replies, “The wolf you feed will win.”

“We each have to decide which wolf we want to feed. We can feed it peace, justice, love, nobility and justice. That is our power every day,” said Waters King.

The book is part of Realizing the Dream, a five-year initiative by Kings’ nonprofit to inspire 100 million hours of service by Martin Luther King Jr.’s 100th birthday in 2029.

They realized that, like the civil rights movement, there are movements today that need encouragement. Waters King said that during the civil rights movement, prayer services and mass meetings were held every night to give instruction, strengthen spirits and strengthen people.

“Legacy, the way we look at it, is something you create every day,” King said. “It doesn’t have to be monumental or massive. It can be very small.”

The book features personal stories from people including Yara Shahidi, Julia Roberts and Dan Rather.

“I tell my story as a young person, what my life was like and what my father and mother did every day. I also found myself working to help realize the dream,” said King, 67. “There is power in the little and small things we do every day that help create a better nation and world. Everyone has a legacy and it’s about how you choose to frame it, not letting someone else define who you become.”

Yolanda Renee King, 16, the only grandchild of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, represent the next generation of the family’s legacy.

“It was important for that generation to find their stories and understand that young people have a legacy. The younger you start, the further we can all go as a community,” said Waters King.

They also wanted to explore how the King legacy affected those who weren’t present during the civil rights movement, as well as the perspectives of people like Rather who were there.

“I’m telling my story of marrying into the King family and legacy. It was important to include stories like that so people could feel connected, build community and see their essential role in doing that,” Waters King said.

They hope that sharing stories and testimonies will bring freedom, healing and inspiration to others.

“It relieves someone going through challenges,” Waters King said. “Our local community has been ravaged by violence. I’m talking about my parents’ divorce. … Perhaps a boy in Chicago whose father was gunned down never considered a connection to Martin Luther King Jr. The reasons may be different, but the experience of losing a parent is the same.”

Waters King reflects on her husband’s journey and believes that Martin Luther King Jr. would be happy.

“I think he would be immensely proud of the man Martin has become and the story he’s sharing in this book that he’s never shared before,” she said. “He would be proud to see him find his place, stand in his purpose and continue to expand the community.”

King added that he believes his father would also be proud of his granddaughter and how she chooses to navigate complex issues and help build beloved communities.

The kings are devout Christians and once visited the Dalai Lama, who wrote the foreword to the book.

“We asked him about 100 questions and his answer always came back to, ‘We are one,'” King said. “When humanity realizes that, it is the level to complement and raise, it creates a higher energy.

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