Speaker Bio
Dr. Bernice A. King is a global thought leader, strategist, solutionist, orator, peace advocate, and
CEO of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center For Nonviolent Social Change (The King Center),
which was founded by her mother as the official living memorial to the life, work,
and legacy of her father. In this position, Bernice continues to advance her parents’
legacy of nonviolent social change through policy, advocacy, research, as well as
education & training through the Kingian philosophy of nonviolence, which she re-branded
Nonviolence365™️ (NV365).
Through her work at The King Center, she educates youth and adults around the world
about the nonviolent principles and strategies modeled by her parents. Under her leadership,
the Center has implemented numerous initiatives reaching over 500,000 people around
the world, including the Beloved Community Leadership Academy, Students with King,
NV365 Education & Training, and The Beloved Community Talks, a courageous conversations
platform about the difficult racial and social justice issues impacting our world.
Dr. King led the development of an NV365 certification program for trainers, which
provides individuals with the opportunity to teach the NV365 curriculum on behalf
of The King Center. She is an instructor for the program and a trainer.
Dr. King received 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.
From 1990 -1992 she served as a law clerk for Judge Glenda Hatchett, the Chief Judge
of The Fulton County Juvenile Detention Court. She served for seven years as an Assistant
Pastor of Greater Rising Star Baptist Church in Atlanta where she organized and developed
several new ministries. In 2007, she established the Be A King Scholarship in honor
of her mother at Spelman College. Dr. King spearheaded the 2013 “Let Freedom Ring”
event commemorating the 50th Anniversary of The March on Washington and her father’s
“I Have a Dream” speech. The global event included President Barack Obama, President
Bill Clinton, and President Jimmy Carter, members of Congress, as well as many other
international leaders, dignitaries, and entertainers. In March 2018, Dr. King was
fortunate to have a private audience with his holiness, Pope Francis. In 2020, she
was influential in encouraging Atlanta Business leaders to actively support major
racial equity and social justice issues, including the successful passage of Georgia's
Hate Crime legislation.
Dr. King has received numerous awards and recognitions. She is the recipient of two
Phoenix Awards. She received her first in 2020 from The Congressional Black Caucus
Foundation, where The Phoenix Award recognizes individuals who have made significant
contributions to society and is their highest award. The second Phoenix Award was
received in 2023 from the City of Atlanta. It recognizes outstanding achievements
and service to the city, state, nation, and world, and is the highest award an individual
or group can receive from the Mayor of the City of Atlanta. In addition to these awards,
in 2021, she received the Atlanta Business Chronicle Lifetime Achievement Award for
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. She also received an honorary Doctor of Divinity
from Wesley College and Clinton College, an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from
Spelman College, and an honorary Doctor of Laws from Grinnell College. As a noted
author, she has to her credit, “Hard Questions, Heart Answers,” as well as a children’s
book entitled “It Starts with Me,” which is a part of The King Center’s Be Love movement.
She is a member of the State Bar of Georgia, admitted since 1992; a registered mediator
through the Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution; a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority
Incorporated (AKA), the Rotary Club of Atlanta, the International Women’s Forum (IWF),
the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW), and the 50th Anniversary class of Leadership
Atlanta (2020); a board member of The King Center, and The National Black Bank Foundation
(NBBF). Dr. King is also Advisory Council Chair for Ready Life, a Fintech (Financial
Technology) Services company that provides a novel pathway to home ownership without
a credit score. Additionally, she serves as Senior Vice President of Corporate Strategy
and Alliance for Redemption Holdings, an investor Company acquiring an existing profitable
bank to build a tech-enabled minority focused financial institution (A Black Bank).
Dr. King is an innovative, inspirational, and transformational leader. She is devoted
to advancing the legacy of her parents, and to ensuring that new generations of influencers
are introduced to their teachings, The King Center, as well as the work of creating
the Beloved Community, with Nonviolence365 as the pathway.
