As the nation pauses Monday to honor King Jr.'s life and legacy, Martin Luther King III says his father's work toward peace and equality remains unfinished.
ATLANTA – Martin Luther King III sits in his living room on a recent Thursday afternoon, surrounded by lush decor and wearing a dark suit. Propped on a shelf behind him is an enlarged portrait of three generations of Kings: himself as a boy, his grandfather and his father, The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
"Had he lived we would be in a dramatically different place," King III said in an interview with USA TODAY at his home in Atlanta's upscale Buckhead community."We probably would have resolved racism.” Civil rights leaders pressed on after his death, but the loss of his leadership was keenly felt and a set back for the movement.
"I began to understand that not only was there was a social justice agenda, there was a policy agenda," King III said. “For every justice campaign there was a policy initiative associated with it.”King III went on to graduate from Morehouse College, following his father's footsteps, and later served seven years on the Fulton County Commission in Georgia.
Today, King III spends his days traveling to speak at schools and events, and volunteering for social justice groups in an effort to not only carry his father's legacy but inspire others to join the effort. He advocates for banks to help people of color become homeowners and for diversity training. He lauded groups such as Black Lives Matter for raising awareness and rallying against violence toward black people, and the high school students from Parkland, Florida, who are lobbying lawmakers for stricter gun control.
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