vCoretta Scott King
vBy: Anya Sharniece Sears
vBefore she became THE FIRST LADY OF CIVIL RIGHTS.
vCoretta was born on April 27, 1929 to Obadiah and Bernice Scott in Heiberger , Alabama. She grew up with her parents and two older siblings in Marion, Alabama where she attended Lincoln High.
vAt high school she began to fall in love with music just like her mother. She learned how to played both the trumpet and piano and sung solos in several high school recitals.
vThe college life.
vAfter graduating from Lincoln High School, Coretta continued her education at Antioch College in Ohio.
vThere she majored in education and music , but when she graduated she choose to become a professional singer rather than a school teacher.
vCoretta MEETS
THE king OF civil rights.
THE king OF civil rights.
vWhile studying at the Conservatory, a friend of Coretta’s introduced her to Martin Luther King Jr., who was a young minister at the time.
vAlthough Coretta wasn’t very interested in King at that time, he knew that she would on day be his wife. On their first day he told her, “You know, you have everything I ever wanted in a woman. We ought to get married someday.”
A couple of months later, Coretta and Martin were married at Coretta’s parents front lawn on June 18, 1953.
vThe Struggle between motherhood and civil rights activist.
v Throughout the marriage, the Kings clashed about Coretta’s role. She wanted to help with the Civil Right’s Movement but Martin insisted that she stayed home with the children.
vDespite her husband’s wishes, Coretta engaged in several civil rights activities and gave Freedom Concerts to help raise money.
vShe also helped get the Civil Rights Act passed.
vFrom a wife to a widow.
vAfter her husband’s assassination, she tool over his role as the civil rights leader.
vAfter his deaf, she campaigned hard for her husband’s birthday to become a federal holiday.
vIn 1983, Ronald Reagan signed the bill to establish Martin Luther King’s birthday as a federal holiday.
vThe fight for rights in
south africa.
south africa.
vCoretta had a passion for social justice that went beyond the Civil Rights Movement. She was also troubled by social injustice for blacks in South Africa.
vShe raised awareness and inspired demonstrations in the U.S. against South Africa’s racial policies, and she urged President Reagan to impose economic sanctions against South Africa.
vAwards for african american authors.
vIn 1970, the Ethnic & Multicultural Information Exchange Round Table established the Coretta Scott King Award for outstanding African Americana authors writing for children.
v The first winner was Lillie Patterson, for her book Martin Luther King, Jr: Man of Peace. Maya Angelou was also another honoree.
vA school for girls only.
vMiddle school-aged girls in Atlanta can attend the Coretta Scott King Young Women’s Leadership Academy, a public school with emphasis on leadership, character development and academic achievement.
vThe king legacy still lives on.
v On January 31, 2006, Mrs. King died in Baja, California at the age of 78.
vCoretta Scott King’s legacy remains strong. Honors given to her after her death include governmental resolutions for a moment of silence, the dedication of Super Bowl XL in her memory.
v
vThe dREAM LIVES ON.
vThe dream of Coretta Scott and her husband, Martin Luther King, Jr. lives on through their kids.
v
