South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley is speaking at the Columbia Urban League's annual breakfast recognizing the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.
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COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley says she thinks the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., would be proud of the progress South Carolina has made.
Haley spoke Tuesday morning at the Columbia Urban League's annual breakfast recognizing the slain civil rights leader.
She is the state's first female and first minority governor. The Republican governor's parents emigrated from India.
Haley says at age 5 she was mesmerized by King and felt like every word he said was spoken directly to her.
James T. McLawhorn Jr. is the local urban league's executive director. McLawhorn says the goal is to bring people together to find common ground, and he appreciates that Haley shared her personal experiences to connect with others.
The 13th annual MLK Day rally at the Statehouse is Monday.
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