Remembering Coretta Scott King

Recently, a national icon and a courageous leader passed away. Coretta Scott King, wife of the civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. (whose birthday the nation celebrated just last week), passed away on January 31 . She was 78 years old.

Born Coretta Scott, Mrs. King spent her childhood working on her family’s farm in Heiberger, Alabama. She picked cotton to help her family survive the Great Depression. In 1945 she graduated at the top of her class from Lincoln Normal School in Marion, Alabama. After graduating from Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio, she moved to Boston where she met Martin Luther King Jr.

The two were married on June 18, 1953. After Coretta earned her degree in voice and violin from the New England Conservatory, she moved with her husband to Montgomery, Alabama where he had just been named the pastor of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church.

Mrs. King’s life is populated with achievements and accolades. She was active in the Civil Rights movement led by her husband, putting together a series of Freedom Concerts which drew attention to the movement through poetry, narration, and music. She was also an advocate for peace, serving as a delegate to the 1962 Disarmament Conference in Geneva, Switzerland and pre-dating Dr. King’s protests against the Vietnam War by two years.

After the tragic death of Martin Luther King, Coretta King continued in her husband’s footsteps. In her autobiography My Life with Martin Luther King Jr. she reflects "Because his task was not finished, I felt that I must re-dedicate myself to the completion of his work." In addition to successfully fighting to make the civil rights leader’s birthday a national holiday, Coretta has been an advocate of women’s right, lesbian and gay rights, and AIDS/HIV prevention.

The American Library Association awards the Coretta Scott King Award to an African-American authors and illustrators for outstanding achievements in children’s literature.

Coretta King has authored three books and holds honorary doctorates from over 60 colleges and universities. All of her children have become vocal civil rights and racial equality advocates.

The Wayne County Public Library welcomes your thoughts and reflections on the achievements of this admirable woman, the civil rights movement that she was such an integral part of, and how the world has benefited from the efforts of the King family and their many fellow crusaders.

To find out how to learn more about Coretta Scott King, the civil rights movement, or any other related topic, feel free to inquire at the Reference Desk of the Wayne County Public Library.