The son of civil rights icon the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. has expressed his deep concern about this weeks deadly protests in Kenya.
Martin Luther King III and his wife Arndrea Waters King are currently on a private visit to the East African nation, but their work as leaders of the Drum Major Institute seeks to advance the work of the late Dr. Kings legacy of peace, justice and equity.
They shared a joint audio/visual statement echoing a global call for peaceful protests, open dialogue and the need to focus on building solidarity and community in Kenya.
King III says, "My father, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and my mother, Coretta Scott King, held an unwavering commitment to nonviolence and civil rights, which transformed the landscape of America and inspired movements for justice and equality worldwide. Dad said nonviolence is a powerful and just weapon which cuts without wounding and ennobles the man who wills it."
He says, "The greatest legislative strides my dad and his team were able to make, such as the passing of a civil rights act, were realised through nonviolent tactics. My parents envisioned a beloved community, a society based on justice, equal opportunity and love of ones fellow human beings. Kenyans and security forces. The world is watching. Show the world your voice. Rise not in anger, but in a harmonious call for justice. Dad said, at the centre of nonviolence stands the principle of love."
