The daughter of the civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is taking a firm stance calling out “anti-woke” rhetoric being used to divide the country.
Dr. Bernice A. King gave a speech during the annual commemorative service for her father Monday at Ebenezer Baptist Church, where he was once pastor.
Several civil rights leaders and city officials attended the service. King, however, took note of another prominent event that coincided with the Martin Luther King Jr. Day — the second inauguration of President Donald Trump.
“So as we commemorate the King holiday, stand at the dawn of a new presidential era under Donald Trump, we find ourselves at a critical juncture in our nation’s history,” King said. “Where the very foundations of freedom, justice, and democracy that my father fought so tirelessly to build are being shaken.”
Trump is planning to sign an executive order on his first day as president that would roll back diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in the federal government. Conservative proponents of Trump argued that DEI programs are discriminatory and favor minority groups.