Alveda King: God Can Change Racists’ and Abortionists’ Hearts
In a recent conversation with my friend Day Gardner, we were remarking on what God is doing to stir up the faithful. As the battle for life rages, we are praying for more victories. The news is encouraging!
Yes, the Holy Ghost fire keeps raining on us! For example, as Fr. Frank Pavone continues to call leaders, laypersons and people at large to attention, as seen on Fox News, we are sure to see more and more courage enacted from our spiritual leaders.
In an open letter, he is calling out House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi with the world watching.
Remember our challenge to former Speaker Pelosi a while back? Pelosi literally ran from us when she saw us sitting on the front row of the ceremony that day!
As to Fr. Terry, and you, Dr. Johnny and Pastor Broden, I wish I could have been there with you to help slay the three-headed beast of racism, reproductive genocide and sexual perversion.
I saw Fr. Terry’s passion in the pictures from the press conference, and I applaud him for his dedication to the unborn. I also understand that Cardinal DiNardo is a defender of the unborn. So, in keeping with the philosophy of encouraging all pro-lifers to remember that while methods may differ we are all in the same battle, let’s pray for them both. We need them, and we all need each other.
On their radio show this week, our colleagues Wil and Meeke Addison asked for a take on the latest Paula Deen story about alleged racist remarks. I explained how I learned a long time ago, when racist Gov. George Wallace had a change of heart, that since all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory, there is room at the cross for everyone. I met Paula [Deen], by the way, and she and her family were very gracious and down to earth that day.
When I was a state legislator in Georgia, from the 28th House District in the ’70s and ’80s, I was told that the MLK holiday bill couldn’t pass and would never come out of committee to the floor. Hosea Williams and I were the primary sponsors of the bill. I wasn’t even born again back then, but I was a bit like David, I guess, and a bit like my Dad, A.D., and Uncle M.L. in that I knew God was bigger than those legislators and officials.
When my colleagues balled up the copies of the bill, threw them in spittoons and spit tobacco juice on them in front of my face, I forgave them and kept praying. I asked my granddaddy, Daddy King and Aunt Coretta to come to the Capitol for a visit.
Finally, after much prayer, I requested a private meeting with House Speaker Tom Murphy—considered by some to be a noted segregationist/racist at one time in Georgia’s history. The meeting was miraculously granted, and as I sat before him—in tears, actually (I was young back then, and cried more easily than I do today)—I asked him to explain why his stance was fair.
He said something like, “Miss Alveda, I can’t promise you that the bill will pass, but it will go to the floor.”
The bill went to the floor, and the rest is history.
I bring this up to remind us that God can use us to help prick the ice and change the hearts of racists and, yes, abortionists.
Can I take credit for the passage of the bill? Can any human? Of course not. It was an act of God! As in the case of Rosa Parks, MLK and any servant of God, our Creator could have used a rock or a donkey to deliver His message—whether it be to end racism or abortion or even the stand for natural procreative marriage. It just takes faith, love and obedience to be used as a “voice crying out in the wilderness.”
Day and I often say that we shall overcome abortion, as in the Spirit of God we pray for rain and continue to march on until victory is won!
Alveda C. King is the daughter of the late civil-rights activist the Rev. A.D. King and niece of Martin Luther King Jr. She is also a civil rights and pro-life activist, as well as director of African-American outreach for Priests for Life. Click here to visit her blog.
