GARY, Ind. (WISH) — On April 22, 1959, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. visited Gary, Indiana, to accept the key to the city.
Sixty-five years later, his daughter, Dr. Bernice A. King, did the same.
Gary Mayor Eddie Melton (D) presented the key to the city to Bernice King during a ceremony, Friday. State Sen. Mark Spencer (D-Gary) also presented a formal resolution honoring her for “tireless work to advance justice, equity, and nonviolence.”
Bernice King, the CEO of The Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, spoke about the center’s mission, activism, and her father’s legacy.
“I get asked that question quite often: What is your legacy? I’m thinking, ‘Do you not realize that I inherited a legacy?’ It’s not something that I can lay aside and forget about,” King said. “It has to be championed, and it has to be carried.”
The city said MLK Jr. visited Gary three times from 1959-1966.
“Through her leadership and unwavering commitment to nonviolent social change, Dr. King continues to carry forward her father’s powerful legacy,” Melton said. “Today, we proudly celebrate the enduring bond between our city and the King family.”
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