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  • Dr. Alveda King, niece of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., professes love and admiration for President Obama, but firmly opposes the administration’s positions on abortion and same sex marriage.

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October 27, 2012

Local pro-life advocates gather to hear niece of Martin Luther King

David Burcham New Castle News

NEW CASTLE — United by their pro-life beliefs, more than 275 people gathered Friday  for a special program.

They left the luncheon at the New Englander Banquet Center praising God and applauding the words of Dr. Alveda King, niece of the slain civil rights hero.

King’s testimony was made much more powerful and personal by the fact that she was nearly aborted 61 years ago and later had two abortions herself. Because she went through it, King said she understands the pain and lies about abortion. She compared herself to the woman at the well, whose amoral life was changed by meeting Jesus.

King now sees the pro-life movement as a continuation of the civil rights movement of which her father, A.D. King, and her famous uncle, Martin, were at the forefront.

She professes love and admiration for President Obama, but firmly opposes the administration’s positions on abortion and same sex marriage. She does not identify with either Democrat or Republican, but instead belongs to the Independent Christian Party.

She is sure that her uncle, Martin, would stand with her if he were alive today. She said her uncle would not have wavered on his pro-life stance. She challenged others to do the same.

Martin preached with evangelist Billy Graham in 1957 when Graham insisted that blacks and whites sit together — not on different sides — during the event.

“Billy Graham didn’t change what he preached then and what he preaches today, and neither would have my uncle,” King said.

Annie Hines, an elder at First Presbyterian, was pleased that King “chose to use that special name” for the pro-life cause.

More than 40 pastors were in the crowd that drew people of multiple races from many denominations. People came from as far as Pittsburgh and surrounding areas to hear King speak.

The Rev. David Young Sr. of Prevailing Word World Outreach Center and the Rev. Alonzo Waters of the Victory Christian Center campus in New Castle were among about two dozen African-American pastors who had a private meeting with King before the event. She spoke briefly and then took questions from them.

Young and Waters agreed that African-American Christians face a difficult decision with the election looming.

“That’s true, but we need to look past all things and base all our decisions on what the Bible says and not the color of a person’s skin,” Waters said.

“No party has ownership on truth,” said Young, who is calling on the nation to pray. He said more than 16-million African-American babies have been aborted since Roe v. Wade became the law of the land 40 years ago.

“People are entitled to their views on all matters, but they need to remember that all of their mothers chose life,” Young said. “The Bible says to choose life.”

The event was sponsored by People Concerned For The Unborn Child, New Castle Chapter. Diane Marcella, chapter chair of the organization, said that according to the 2010 census data, about 11 percent of all Pennsylvanians are black while the state department of health reported that 42 percent of all abortions in 2010 were performed on black women.

“We’re not the black race, not the white race, but the human race,” King said.  “We need pastors to pray and be bold enough to tell the truth.”

(Email: dburcham@ncnewsonline.com.)

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