Svoboda | Graniru | BBC Russia | Golosameriki | Facebook

Bernice King calls for MLK's legacy to be taught in full, not just the "comfortable part"

"We have to continue to be resolute in teaching the whole King."
By Amanda Yeo  on 
Bernice King on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah
Watch Next

Martin Luther King Jr. Day has already come and gone this year, but the issues this national holiday highlights remain relevant all year round. On the latest episode of The Daily Show, host Trevor Noah spoke to minister Bernice King about her parents' legacy, and how her father's principles are so often misrepresented.

"In your lifetime you saw your father go from being one of the most hated men in America to now being one of the most beloved men in America, but ironically almost not because he's changed but because people have changed what he stood for," said Noah.

"I never heard it put that way," said King. "Yeah, because we have an affinity for dead and deceased leaders. They're more comfortable when they're no longer with us because they are not able to influence the masses in the same way. It's kind of like good and evil. When you have something that's so powerful and revolutionary like that, people do want to kind of find the easy, comfortable part of it. And I agree with you that that has happened, and that's why we have to continue to be resolute in teaching the whole King."

Amanda Yeo
Amanda Yeo
Assistant Editor

Amanda Yeo is an Assistant Editor at Mashable, covering entertainment, culture, tech, science, and social good. Based in Australia, she writes about everything from video games and K-pop to movies and gadgets.


More from Mashable Voices
TikTok is hosting a month of creator-focused events in honor of Black History Month
A collage of photos of the TikTok Visionary Voices honorees.

AI's exclusion of Indigenous voices is history repeating itself
Illustration of a human profile intersected by lines that look like a computer motherboard. The border depicts a series of Native American tribal patterns and upward-facing feathers.

Putting your resume to work: 5 tips from 'The Jobfather'
A hand throws paper airplanes made from resumes across a green tech-themed background pattern

How to prepare to thrive professionally in an AI-integrated workforce
An illustrated man wearing glasses uses technology with multiple arms in front of a green tech-themed background pattern

Black, queer and neurodivergent in tech: How one advocate is creating safe space for intersectionality
Jennifer Opal smiles while looking to the right over a purple dotted background with a striped image frame

Latest Videos
'Deadpool & Wolverine' producer and Marvel Studios president, Kevin Feige reveals his go-to movies
'Deadpool & Wolverine' Kevin Feige



Stephen Colbert brutally mocks Trump's running mate JD Vance
A man in a suit stands on a talk show stage.


'Borderlands' final trailer has Cate Blanchett living our vault-hunter dreams
BORDERLANDS Promotional screenshot

'Speak No Evil' trailer: Fear James McAvoy
James McAvoy holds up a finger for silence.


Watch Timothée Chalamet sing as Bob Dylan in "The Complete Unknown" teaser trailer
Timothée Chalamet is Bob Dylan.


Stephen Colbert is brat, shares Kamala Harris memes
Stephen Colbert wearing glasses and pointing to a printed out meme. Overlaid text reads: "According to my sources here, the boyfriend is walking with his girlfriend who is labelled 'healthy homemade dinner.'"
The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!