Search results
Coretta Scott King ( née Scott; April 27, 1927 – January 30, 2006) was an American author, activist, and civil rights leader who was the wife of Martin Luther King Jr. from 1953 until his death. As an advocate for African-American equality, she was a leader for the civil rights movement in the 1960s.
3 days ago · Coretta Scott King, American civil rights activist who was the wife of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. After they both completed studies in higher learning, the Kings moved to Montgomery, Alabama, where she joined her husband in civil rights activism.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
- Overview
- HISTORY Vault: Voices of Civil Rights
- GeneratedCaptionsTabForHeroSec
Although best known as the wife of 1960s civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., Coretta Scott King (1927-2006) established a distinguished career in activism in her own right.
Working side-by-side with her husband throughout the 1950s and 1960s, King took part in the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955 and worked to pass the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Her memoir, My Life with Martin Luther King Jr., was published in 1969.
Coretta Scott King - Remembered By Her Friends
Following Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination in 1968, she continued their work, founding the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change in Atlanta, Georgia. She served as the center’s president and chief executive officer from its inception.
In 1980, a 23-acre site around King’s birthplace was designated for use by the King Center. The following year, a museum complex was dedicated on the site.
King also was behind the 15-year fight to have her husband’s birthday instituted as a national holiday—President Ronald Reagan finally signed the bill in 1983.
A look at one of the defining social movements in U.S. history, told through the personal stories of men, women and children who lived through it.
WATCH NOW
Learn about the life and achievements of Coretta Scott King, the wife of Martin Luther King Jr. and a prominent civil rights leader in her own right. Find out how she founded the King Center, fought for her husband's legacy and wrote a memoir.
Learn about the life and legacy of Coretta Scott King, the wife of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and a prominent figure in the fight for racial justice and equality. Explore her achievements, challenges, and contributions to the movement and beyond.
Apr 2, 2014 · Coretta Scott King was an American civil rights activist and the wife of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.
Jan 11, 2017 · Nearly every image of Coretta Scott King since her husband’s death has seemed suffused with preternatural stillness, her face fixed with the brave solitude of timeless interior bereavement.
Prepared by her family, education, and personality for a life committed to social justice and peace, she entered the world stage in 1955 as wife of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and as a leading participant in the American Civil Rights Movement.
