Coretta Scott King dedicated her life to the pursuit of racial equality and economic justice.
Her death in January, 2006 shocked the communities she campaigned for and her eight-hour funeral was attended by presidents and dignitaries.
Birth and Marriage to Dr King
Born in Alabama in 1927, she met her husband at the New England Conservatory College in Boston and recalls: “He was looking for a wife, I wasn't looking for a husband, but he was a wonderful human being. I resisted his overtures but after he persisted I had to pray about it...I had a dream, and in that dream I was made to feel that I should allow myself to be open and stop fighting the relationship, and that's what I did."
They married on the lawn of her parent’s house in 1957 and had four children, all of whom have followed in their parents’ footsteps and are civil rights activists.
In marrying a man committed to civil rights, King knew that she would not live the life of a quiet minister's wife. Their first child was born just two weeks before the Montgomery bus boycott in 1955, and their house was bombed soon after.
Civil Rights Activism
After her husband's assassination in 1968, King took it for granted that she would continue his work. Just four days after his death, she led a march of 50,000 people through the streets of Memphis, and the following year travelled to India and accept an award for her husband.
On the way, she visited Italy where she was given a special audience by the Pope, and stopped off in Britain where she preached at St. Paul’s Cathedral, probably the first woman ever to do so.
Over the years, Mrs. King traveled the world speaking in universities and churches and meeting with political leaders. She marched against discrimination in the South and was arrested for protesting apartheid in South Africa.
National Holiday for Dr. King and Gay Rights
She campaigned to establish Dr. King’s birthday as the first federal holiday for an African-American. She also founded the King Center for Nonviolent Social Change which trains thousands in Dr. King’s philosophy.
She also controversially became an advocate for the rights of gay men and lesbians: “My husband said, ‘Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.’ Justice is indivisible. I don't believe you can stand for freedom for one group of people and deny it to others.”
Funeral and Legacy
King died on January 30th in Mexico of respiratory failure. Her funeral at the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Georgia was attended by over 14,000 people including presidents George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and the then senator Barack Obama.
Speakers included poet Maya Angelou, Attallah Shabazz, daughter of Malcolm X and Bishop T.D Jakes. Vocalists Stevie Wonder, and BeBe and CeCe Winans were also present. She was the first woman and Black person to be buried at Georgia State Capitol.
From standing by her man to keeping his memory alive after his death, King is an example of loyalty and unflinching devotion to a cause. “I learned that when you are willing to make sacrifices for a great cause, you will never be alone, because you will have divine companionship and the support of good people.”
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