The Polaris - North Seattle Community College Student Newspaper

King Visits Seattle

Ryan Hicks
Assistant Editor

The Reverend Bernice King came to Seattle’s Mt. Zion Baptist Church Jan. 16 as a guest speaker for the 30th annual Seattle Community College commemorative celebration of her father, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
For the capacity crowd sitting hip to hip in the church pews and on the balcony, King spoke what was on her mind to the diversity of ages, ethnicities, and backgrounds present. She spoke with an intensity that will probably not be lost anytime soon on any that listened to her words from the pulpit.
There were a few introductory speakers – Joyce Taylor from King-5 News and Seattle’s Mayor Greg Nichols among others, but the rapt attention was on King. In her speech, she ground the world’s current events into something tangible. For 45 minutes, she shaped the common American identity of helplessness into something a little more hopeful. By referencing her father, but focusing more on life in general, and on God specifically she inspired hope.
“I am your wake-up call,” said King. “You can’t ignore God’s message now. You’re here for a reason.”
Contextually, it was a very up-to-date wake-up call. Using today’s common language, she broke down universal religious and political themes into bite-sized, easy-to-conceptualize ideas for today’s common people to relate to.
Through various parables about modern life, she mentioned everything from DVD players, CDs, websites and CNN, to “bling-bling” (slang for “expensive” or “expensive-looking”) and the fact that everyone in the audience was special because they were the “chosen sperm.”
She did not shy from controversial statements. Referring to typical American political and social hierarchies, she was straightforward
“So you see, you’ve got black people on the bottom, and then right above them you’ve got Hispanics, and then a little above them you’ve got Asians, and then at the top you’ve got white people,” she said.
“I am not here to be politically correct,” she added. “I am saying what God wants me to say.”
Part of what she wanted to say, to a capacity crowd, in Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Seattle, was that we, as spectators and listeners, were the problem with the world. She said we were self-centered, that we weren’t paying attention.
“Hey, come here, let me tell you something,” she whispered into the microphone. “It’s not about you.” She said life obligates us to larger responsibilities.
Through her speech, she was angry, she was happy, she was disappointed. Her voice was loud, quiet, quick, and slow. She said God was talking through her.
For a while, though, she did talk about her father. He was not a civil rights activist, she said, but a prophet, sent by God, to affect the Civil Rights movement.

“My father lived with a purpose,” said King, “and he died having done what he was put on earth to do.”
Concluding her speech, King challenged the audience to do the same - to live life to the fullest and to live with purpose.
From the audience, I wondered, did we all hear God talking? Amen?
To finish the ceremony, all in attendance held hands, sang, and swayed back and forth to the tune of “We Shall Overcome.” Most present knew the words.

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