Fifty-seven years ago my father issued a prophetic condemnation of the war in Vietnam. His speech at New York City’s Riverside Church a year before he was assassinated broke with the Lyndon Baines Johnson administration and drew criticism from other civil rights leaders.

“It is now clear that no one concerned about the integrity and survival of America today can ignore the current war,” he said. “If America’s soul is completely poisoned, part of the autopsy should read: Vietnam. It can never be saved as long as it destroys the deepest hopes of people around the world. So those of us who are still determined about what America will be are being dragged down the path of protest and dissent, working for the health of our land.

Today, I join the protests and anti-war movement, opposing Benjamin Netanyahu’s immoral actions against the Palestinian people, while also mourning the loss of Israeli, Jewish and Palestinian lives. Destruction and death must end. I implore the Biden administration to do everything we can to end this war. We must embrace what my father called “a true revolution of values” in his speech against the war in Vietnam, which means that our final analysis must be universal rather than sectional. We need a vision and plan for peace and security for both Israelis and Palestinians.

I am grateful to those, especially young Americans, who nonviolently protested my father’s tradition for true peace that includes justice and a humane path forward. As we continue our protests, we must ask ourselves which of the two presidential candidates will listen to our protests.

The gains we made during the civil rights movement would not have been achieved without our democracy and our Constitution, and those two are threatened in this election. The right to protest, a fundamental tenet of our Constitution, is what gave my father and those who worked with him the power to challenge and change de jure discrimination in this country.

Change will not happen without the power and strength of the people through non-violent social change. What is happening in Gaza under Netanyahu’s hawkish leadership must be protested and resisted without resorting to violence. To ensure that this right is protected so that we can continue to pressure our government to stand up for the right, we will need presidential leadership that will listen to our protests, consider our demands, and not seek to criminalize our constitutional right to protest.

I believe that Kamala Harris is listening and that we can continue to pressure her to use all means of American influence on Netanyahu’s government to end the war. The president’s other option, Donald Trump, is an immediate and persistent threat to our right to protest.

Donald Trump has talked about turning the US military against domestic enemies. Donald Trump has in no way expressed concern about the humanity of the Palestinian people.

The road to peace in the Middle East does not pass through Donald Trump in the White House. One reason we can be sure of this is that Project 2025 makes clear that a second Trump administration will be more authoritarian than the first. The Supreme Court gave him the green light in the latest presidential immunity case.

A second Trump administration would weaponize the Justice Department to punish any dissent. My father experienced firsthand the weaponization of the Justice Department by having the FBI track him and try to discredit him. The long march to make the promise of democracy more realistic for all Americans will suffer a sharp reversal if Donald Trump is re-elected president. We can’t go back. And we simply cannot afford to move forward with a government that does not respect and value a government of, for, and by the people.

Vice President Kamala Harris will provide us with the opportunity to protect our democracy and the rule of law as we continue the people’s struggle to create a just, humane and equitable society. He has the determination, experience, intelligence and energy to lead at this critical moment for our country and our world.

I understand and share the deep sadness that many Americans feel about the Biden administration’s continued support for the war in Gaza. A vote for Kamala Harris is not an endorsement of US funding for the war. Voting for Kamala Harris does not mean you give up your right to protest her actions and policies. But we risk losing our right to protest under a second Trump administration. My mother, Mrs. Coretta Scott King, said: “Struggle is a never-ending process. Freedom is never truly won; you earn it and you earn it in every generation.” I believe that under Harris we can fight for justice, freedom and peace and win.

Our greatness as a nation lies in this constitutional right, just as my father said in his last public address in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 3, 1968: “The greatness of America is the right to protest.” If we truly want to move this nation forward on behalf of all people and secure America’s greatness, then voting for Kamala Harris is a vote to preserve justice, freedom, and democracy. While doing this, in my father’s words, “let’s rededicate ourselves to the long and bitter but beautiful struggle for a new world.”

Can we trust you?

The fate of our democracy and fundamental human rights is at the ballot box in the upcoming elections. The conservative architects of Project 2025 are making plans to institutionalize Donald Trump’s authoritarian vision at every level of government if he wins.

We have already seen events that fill us with both fear and cautious optimism; Nation It has been a bulwark against misinformation and an advocate for bold, principled perspectives. Our dedicated writers sat down to interview Kamala Harris and Bernie Sanders, expose J.D. Vance’s shallow right-wing populist appeals, and discuss the path to Democratic victory in November.

Stories like this, and the stories you just read, are vital at this critical juncture in our country’s history. Now more than ever, we need open-minded, in-depth independent journalism to make sense of headlines and separate fact from fiction. Donate today and join our 160-year legacy of speaking truth to power and amplifying the voices of grassroots advocates.

We need your support to continue publishing the insightful journalism you rely on, through 2024—what is likely the defining election of our lifetimes.

Thank you,
Editors Nation

Priest Dr. Bernice King

Dr. Bernice A. King is a global thought leader, strategist, solutionist, orator and peace advocate. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King’s daughter. Dr. King earned both a juris doctor (JD) and a master of divinity (MDiv) degree from Emory University and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Spelman College. Dr. King has received numerous awards and recognition, including top honors from both the City of Atlanta and the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation and a lifetime achievement award from the National Coalition of 100 Black Women Convention.

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