Coretta Scott King: Another Look at MLK Day

This week, we commemorate Martin Luther King Jr., and celebrate all of his accomplishments. However, often overlooked are the accomplishments of his wife, Coretta Scott King. While their marriage has been a topic of much debate, especially since the release of Selma in 2014, they were both strong advocates for the Civil Rights Movement.

During her husband’s illustrious career, Coretta focused on taking care of their four children, and helping to run the church where King was pastor. However, she also devoted herself to the Civil Rights Movement. She spoke in front of many groups regarding peace and justice. She stood strongly against the Vietnam War, she negotiated on behalf of the underrepresented to public officials during this time. Having graduated with a degree in violin and voice from New England Conservatory of Music, she organized a series of Freedom Concerts, that combined song, poetry, and prose. These concerts raised a significant amount of money for her husband’s organization, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

She negotiated on behalf of the underrepresented to public officials.

After King’s assassination in 1968, Coretta founded the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change as a living memory to her husband and his efforts. She lobbied tirelessly, and successfully, for her husband’s birthday to become a national holiday. She continued to preach nonviolence and civil rights worldwide. She met with the Dalai Lama, Pope John Paul, and Dorothy Day. She led a mission to Athens to discuss the changing Soviet landscape before the fall of the Berlin wall. She witnessed the famous handshake between Yitzhak Rabin and Yassir Arafat. She stood near Nelson Mandela as he was elected the first democratic president of South Africa. Her accomplishments were widely recognized as she received honorary doctorates from over 60 educational institutions, published three books, and had a newspaper column.

Coretta passed away in 2006, but her legacy and Martin Luther King’s legacy live on through their children and the MLK Center.

Here at WIN Summit, we hope to continue on with the King’s legacy and work towards equality.

This article was first published on Medium.