Coretta King Calls for Peaceful Actions to Ease Racial Tension

Coretta Scott King on Wednesday praised the unity efforts of Los Angeles’ gang leaders while calling for a peaceful resolution to the racial tensions that have gripped the community in the wake of the riots.

“My husband understood that violence never results in lasting change,” the widow of Martin Luther King Jr. told a group of black business leaders and young people meeting at a Carson hotel Wednesday night. “Violence diminishes our humanity.”

King urged the audience to lobby for reform of the criminal justice system, including racially integrated juries and civilian review boards for law enforcement agencies.

She called the not guilty verdicts for four police officers accused of beating motorist Rodney G. King “a painful reminder that racism in law enforcement remains a life-threatening sickness in our society,” and added that violence was not an appropriate response.

Instead, she challenged young people to get involved in voter registration campaigns as a way of improving the system.

“If young people in Los Angeles and in cities across the country organize themselves and get themselves together in a coalition for change, there is just no way you would not be successful,” she said. “Any politician in this country would have to listen to you.”

Her appearance was part of a two-day conference, co-sponsored by the Atlanta-based center named for her husband and Los Angeles County’s Martin Luther King Jr./Drew Medical Center, to examine such issues as AIDS, gang activity and urban violence.

King’s 30-minute talk followed a video of some of her late husband’s speeches and drew a warm response from young people.

After listening to King’s remarks, Rashida Smith of Irvine said, “We do need to get out there and vote.”