Biography of Bernice King

Nationally and internationally known as one of the most powerful, motivating and life-changing orators and speakers, Bernice A. King leaves her audiences spellbound and challenged.  Born the youngest daughter of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, Bernice began her oratorical journey when she spoke in her mother’s stead at the United Nations at age 17.  Over the years, Bernice has had the occasion to speak in such places as The White House, DuPont Corp., Warner-Lambert Corporation, AT&T, Lockheed/Martin, DIA, University of Toledo, Xavier University, University of North Carolina, Duke University, Pepperdine University, Department of Defense, Salvation Army, and in such places as Sydney, Australia, Lubeck, Germany, Argentina, S. America to name a few. In the summer of 2000, Bernice narrated the “Lincoln Portrait” along with a symphony orchestra in Keil, Germany at the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival.  Comments, like those below, from audiences around the world reflect how Bernice’s speeches have changed their drive and outlook on life:

*It was an awesome, dynamic, thrilling and mentally provocative.  This is a start of a revolutionary move in my life.  It was truly a privilege for a Bahamian to hear, touch and feel the daughter of a legend.  This day will remain with me forever.

*I was revitalized and reenergized to keep up the fight.

*Dynamic! Real! Thought Provoking! Life Changing! Powerful! On Time! Rev. King was wonderful.  Words cannot adequately describe how her words touched our lives.  She brought a powerful word to the people of Pittsburgh.

*Her message had a lot of application and reality to it.  It challenged, touched, and motivated me in ways I didn’t expect.

*King’s words helped me to become less judgmental and close-minded.

*King’s talk motivated me to take up the gauntlet and challenge and motivate others.

Bernice King is a graduate of Spelman College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and a Masters of Divinity and Doctorate of Law Degrees from Emory University.  She has also received an honorary Doctorate of Divinity degree from Wesley College.  She is currently a member of the State Bar of Georgia.

With a strong concern for community and family partnership, Bernice was privileged to serve as a law clerk in the Fulton County Juvenile Court system, under Judge Glenda Hatchett, where she interacted with troubled boys and girls.  It was there that she realized that a growing number of teens have been double victims: first of society and secondly of an ineffective legal system based in retribution instead of rehabilitation.  Bernice has also served as a mentor to a group of 5th grade girls at an inner-city Atlanta elementary school, where she spent time molding their character and values so that one day they too would become a force to be reckoned with in the world.  Among other community activities and services, she was instrumental in organizing coalitions to close a pornographic shop located within a mile of a local High School.  She also assisted The Dow Company in building a Habitat for Humanity home in Americus, Georgia.

As an ordained preacher, Bernice King is a minister at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia, Georgia under the dynamic leadership of Bishop Eddie L. Long.  In addition to being a speaker/orator/preacher, Bernice has planned and organized numerous conferences, seminars and workshops for all walks of life.  She has successfully coordinated non-violent conflict resolution conferences for college and university students and women and family conferences; she has conducted a class on race relations at Mississippi College in Jackson, MS and taught a year- long leadership development class at her previous church. .

Bernice has been featured on such shows as, Oprah, BET Talk with Tavis Smiley and the Judge Hachett Show to name a few and in such magazines as People Magazine, Ebony, Essence, Ladies Home Journal, Gospel Today and Charisma Magazine.  This year American Legacy Magazine recognized Bernice as a “Woman of Strength and Courage”. She has also guest hosted a live lunchtime television show on CNN. 

As an author, Bernice has to her credit, her first book, Hard Questions, Heart Answers, a compelling and inspiring book.

Diverse, challenging, captivating, relevant and powerful are a few words that describe Bernice A. King, a woman gifted to change the lives of those who come into contact with her.