After her father's death, Coretta Scott King was determined to process her grief in a positive fashion, or "as an assignment." When she decided to create the Martin Luther King Center for Nonviolent Change (today called Nonviolence 365) only a few months after the assassination, her mother was subjected to criticism—from both men and women.
If Coretta Scott King was surprised by that, she remained undaunted and unbowed. Woman have been "silent too long and we've bought into the belief men do things better." This was particularly true in the late 1960s and 1970s.
Her mother needed to raise $20 million to make the King Center a sustainable organization. "So she just showed up as Coretta Scott King and she walked through that door and made people feel special."
Dr. Bernice King acknowledged that when "we talk about change and inclusion, things can get very heated. It's easy to let raw emotion get in the way." But her mother believed that if women are going to "be the soul of this nation," they have to "show up and bring a new way of thinking."
In conclusion, she noted that "intentionality" is what brings about change. "Make it a part of your every day. Why don't you take it as your assignment. You have that ability in you. The only thing that can stop you is you."