Coretta Scott King: Activist
An African-American woman who atood up for the civil rights of all people everywhere.
Sep 1, 2006
Famous African American Women
Early Years
Born on April 27, 1927, on a farm in Heiberger, Alabama, Coretta Scott King was one of three children of Obadiah Scott and Bernice McMurry. Her family owned the farm, but their lives were harsh and she and her younger sister and older brother were forced to pick cotton during the Great_Depression to help make ends meet. A gifted and brilliant student, Coretta Scott King graduated from Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio, and then won a scholarship to the New England Conservatory of Music. There, she met the man who would change her life forever: Martin Luther King Jr.
Adult Life
The Kings were married on June 18, 1953, the ceremony performed by King's own minister father. Martin was named pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Churchin Montgomery, Alabama, and Coretta Scott King and her husband moved there in September of 1954. The couple had four children, two boys and two girls, all of whom followed in their parents' footsteps as civil rights activists. Coretta Scott King received honorary degrees from Princeton University, Duke University and Bates College. She also organized a series of Freedom Concerts, which raised funds for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference
Life After The Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.
After her husband's assassination in April of 1968, Coretta Scott King had her own dream to make his birthday, January 15, a national holiday. Her determination became a reality in 1986 when the first Martin Luther King Daywas celebrated. During the 1980s, Coretta Scott King participated in a series of sit-in protests against South African racial policies and in 1986, traveled to South Africa to meet with Winnie, the wife of then imprisoned Nelson Mandela
Throughout her life Coretta Scott King supported the civil rights of all others including gays and lesbians. She said on this issue: "I appeal to everyone...to make room at the table of brotherhood and sisterhood for lesbian and gay people."
Death
Coretta Scott King made her last public appearance in Atlanta at a dinner honoring her husband's memory in January of 2006. She died on January 30th of ovarian cancer at the age of 78. She will always be remembered as a fine American woman, who spoke her mind, stood up for the civil rights of others and in general, made the world a better place.
Dear brave lady, your spirit lives on in the hearts of all who choose to stand tall.
