Who is the best candidate to support our democracy and our constitutional right to protest?

Fifty-seven years ago, my father prophetically addressed the Vietnam War. His speech at Riverside Church in New York City, delivered one year to the day before he was assassinated, severed his relationship with Gov. Lyndon Baines Johnson and drew criticism from other civil rights leaders.

“Now it should be abundantly clear that no one who has any concern for the integrity and life of America today can ignore the current war,” he said. “If the soul of America becomes totally poisoned, part of the autopsy should read: Vietnam. It can never be saved as long as it destroys the deepest hopes of people around the world. So it is that those of us who are still determined that America will be – will follow the path of protest and dissent, and will work for the health of our country.”

Today, I join protest and dissent against the war by opposing Benjamin Netanyahu’s amoral actions toward the Palestinian people, while also mourning the loss of Israeli, Jewish, and Palestinian lives. The destruction and death must end. I implore the Biden administration to do everything in our power to end this war. We must embrace what my father called “a true values ​​revolution” in his speech against the Vietnam War, which means that our ultimate analysis must be ecumenical rather than sectoral. We need a vision and a plan for peace and security for both Israelis and Palestinians.

I am grateful for those – especially young Americans – who are protesting nonviolently in my father’s tradition for true peace, which includes justice and a humane path forward. As we continue to protest, we must ask ourselves which of the two presidential candidates will listen to our protests.

The gains we made during the civil rights movement would not have been possible without our democracy and our Constitution, and both of those are under threat this election. The right to protest, as one of the fundamental principles of our Constitution, has given my father and those who worked with him the power to challenge and change de jure (by law) segregation in this country.

Change will not happen without the power and strength of the people, through nonviolent social change. There must and must be protest and non-violent resistance against what is happening in Gaza under Netanyahu’s aggressive leadership. To ensure that that right is preserved, so that we can continue to pressure our government to side with the right, we need presidential leadership that will listen to our protests and respond to our demands, and not attempt to overturn our constitutional criminalize the right to protest.

I believe Kamala Harris is listening and that we can continue to pressure her to use all the levers of American influence on the Netanyahu government to end the war. The other option for President Donald Trump is an immediate and persistent threat to our right to protest.

Donald Trump has talked about turning the US military against domestic enemies. Donald Trump has in no way expressed concern for the humanity of the Palestinian people.

The road to peace in the Middle East does not again lead through Donald Trump in the White House. One reason we can be sure of this is that Project 2025 makes clear that a second Trump administration would be more authoritarian than the first. The Supreme Court gave him the green light to do so in the recent presidential immunity case.

A second Trump administration would weaponize the Justice Department to punish any dissent. My father personally experienced the weaponization of the Justice Department, with the FBI surveilling him and trying to discredit him. The long march to make the promise of democracy more real for all Americans will take a sharp turn if Donald Trump is re-elected president. We can’t go back. And we certainly cannot afford to continue with a government that does not respect and value a government of, for and by the people.

Vice President Kamala Harris will provide us with the opportunity to preserve our democracy and the rule of law as we continue the people’s struggle to create a just, humane and just society. She has the dedication, experience, intelligence and energy to lead at this critical moment for our country and the world.

I understand and share the deep sadness that many Americans feel over the Biden administration’s continued support for the war in Gaza. A vote for Kamala Harris does not mean approval of US funding for the war. Voting for Kamala Harris does not mean giving up your right to protest her actions and policies. Yet we risk losing the right to protest in a second Trump administration. My mother, Mrs. Coretta Scott King, said, “Struggle is a never-ending process. Freedom is never truly acquired, you earn it and gain it in every generation. I believe that in a Harris administration we can fight for and win freedom and peace with justice.

Our greatness as a nation lies in this constitutional right, just as my father said in his last public speech on April 3, 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee: “The greatness of America is the right to protest for what is right.” If we truly want to move this nation forward for all people and ensure America’s greatness, voting for Kamala Harris is a vote to protect justice, freedom and democracy. And as we do, in my father’s words, let us “rededicate ourselves to the long and bitter, but beautiful struggle for a new world.”

Can we count on you?

In the upcoming elections, the fate of our democracy and basic civil rights are at stake. The conservative architects of Project 2025 plan to internalize Donald Trump’s authoritarian vision at all levels of government should he win.

We have already seen events that fill us with both fear and cautious optimism. The nation has been a bulwark against disinformation and an advocate for bold, principled perspectives. Our dedicated writers caught up with Kamala Harris and Bernie Sanders for interviews, discussed JD Vance’s shallow right-wing populist appeals, and debated the path to a Democratic victory in November.

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Thank you,
The editorial staff of The nation

Rev. Dr. Bernice King

Dr. Bernice A. King is a global thought leader, strategist, solutionist, orator and peace advocate. She is the daughter of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King. Dr. King earned both a juris doctor (JD) and a Master of Divinity (MDiv) degree from Emory University, and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Spelman College. Dr. King has received numerous awards and recognitions, including top honors presented by both the City of Atlanta and the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Coalition of 100 Black Women Convention.

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