Alveda King facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alveda King
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| Member of the Georgia House of Representatives from the 28th district |
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| In office 1979–1983 |
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| Preceded by | Virginia Shapard |
| Succeeded by | Bob Holmes |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Alveda Celeste King
January 22, 1951 Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican (1990s–present) |
| Other political affiliations |
Democratic (c. 1970s–1990s) |
| Spouses | Eddie Clifford Beal (divorced) Jerry Ellis (divorced) Israel Tookes (divorced) |
| Children | 6 |
| Parents | Alfred Daniel King Naomi Ruth Barber |
| Relatives | Alberta Williams King (paternal grandmother) Martin Luther King Sr. (paternal grandfather) Martin Luther King Jr. (paternal uncle) Christine King Farris (paternal aunt) Yolanda King (paternal first cousin) Dexter King (paternal first cousin) Bernice King (paternal first cousin) Martin Luther King III (paternal first cousin) Angela Stanton-King (goddaughter) |
| Education | Central Michigan University (MA) |
| Website | Official website: http://www.africanamericanoutreach.com |
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Alveda Celeste King (born January 22, 1951) is an American activist and author. She also used to be a state representative for Georgia.
She is the niece of famous civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.. Her father was also a civil rights activist, A. D. King. Alveda King is a contributor to Fox News Channel. She has also worked with a conservative group called the Alexis de Tocqueville Institution. She founded Alveda King Ministries.
Contents
Early Life and Family History
Alveda King was born in Atlanta, Georgia. She was the first of five children. Her father, A. D. King, was the younger brother of Martin Luther King Jr.. Her mother was Naomi Barber King.
Alveda King shared that her mother thought about not having her so she could finish college. But her grandfather convinced her to keep the baby. When Alveda was 12, her father became a leader in the Birmingham campaign. This was a major part of the civil rights movement. He was a pastor at a church in Ensley, near Birmingham, Alabama. Later that year, people who were against the civil rights movement bombed the King family's house.
In 1969, her father, A. D. King, was found dead in his swimming pool. His death was officially called an accidental drowning.
Martin Luther King Sr., Alveda's grandfather, wrote about his son's death. He said Alveda had been talking with her father the night before. Her father seemed quiet and not very interested in the TV movie they were watching. Alveda left him watching TV when she went to bed. Martin Luther King Sr. had questions about A. D.'s death. He wondered why his son, a good swimmer, would drown. He wrote that he still didn't know what happened.
Education and Learning
Alveda King studied journalism and sociology in college. She earned a Master of Arts degree in business management from Central Michigan University. She also received special honorary degrees from other universities. These include an honorary doctorate from Saint Anselm College. She also earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Theology from Aidan University.
Serving in Public Office
From 1979 to 1982, Alveda King was a state representative. She represented the 28th District in the Georgia House of Representatives. This area included Fulton County. At that time, King was a member of the Democratic Party.
In 1984, King decided to run for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. She wanted to represent Georgia's 5th congressional district. She ran against the person already holding the seat, Wyche Fowler. Other people also ran in the primary election.
Coretta Scott King, Alveda's aunt, did not support her niece in this election. Some leaders, including Andrew Young, asked Alveda to stop her campaign. They wanted her to spend more time with her family. Young later said sorry for his comments. Alveda King did not stop her campaign. Fowler won the primary election against King and the other candidates. This was the last time she ran for an elected position. She has since said that she has been a Democrat and a Republican. She now says, "Today, I'm just a Christian."
In 2018, President Donald Trump chose King to be a member of the Frederick Douglass Bicentennial Commission.
Involvement in Presidential Politics
In 1984, Alveda King supported Reverend Jesse Jackson when he ran for president.
King voted for Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election. She said she prayed that everyone would learn to live and work together. She also said her trust was in God. For the 2020 presidential election, King was part of an advisory group called Black Voices for Trump.
Beliefs and Activism
Alveda King is known as one of the most important Black figures in the Christian right movement in America.
Speaking at the "Restoring Honor" Rally
In August 2010, King spoke at Glenn Beck's Restoring Honor rally. This event took place at the Lincoln Memorial. In her speech, she expressed hope that "white privilege will become human privilege." She also hoped that America would stop racism and return to honor.
Against Same-Sex Marriage
King has spoken out against same-sex marriage. In 2010, she compared same-sex marriage to genocide at a rally in Atlanta. She said, "We don't want genocide. We don't want to destroy the sacred institution of marriage." In an essay from 2015, she wrote that life is a human right. She also believes that marriage for having children is a human right. She feels people should learn about God's plan for marriage, starting from the Bible's book of Genesis.
Personal Life
Alveda King is African-American. She has been married and divorced three times. Her first husband was Eddie Clifford Beal. Her second husband was Jerry Ellis. Her third husband was Israel Tookes. She has six children.
King has said that her novel, The Arab Heart, was copied in the 1988 movie Coming to America.
Published Works
Alveda King has written several books:
- For generations to come: Poetry by Alveda King Beal (1986)
- The Arab Heart (1986)
- I Don't Want Your Man, I Want My Own (2001)
- Sons of Thunder: The King Family Legacy (2003)
- Who We Are in Christ Jesus (2008)
- King Rules: Ten Truths for You, Your Family, and Our Nation to Prosper (2014)
- King Truths: 21 Keys To Unlocking Your Spiritual Potential (2018)
- Why Trump? Memoirs of a Journey of Faith, Hope and Love (2020)
- We're Not Color Blind: Healing the Racial Divide (2020) (co-authored with Ginger Howard)
King also produced a music CD called Let Freedom Ring in 2005. She has appeared in movies and on television. She was in The Human Experience, a 2010 documentary film. She also helped produce the video "Latter Rain" (2005) and Pray for America (2015).
She played Gaylee's mother in an episode of In the Heat of the Night. This episode, "Fifteen Forever," aired on April 25, 1989.
See also
In Spanish: Alveda King para niños
- Christine King Farris
- List of African-American Republicans
- Black conservatism in the United States
