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What I did not know about Coretta Scott King…

...that I wish I did. I always hate finding out good things about people after they're gone.

"It was as if she was born for the breadth and depth of responsibility that she incurred as the life of Dr. Martin Luther King. Indeed, she was strong, if not stronger than he was," Young said. "And she waged that struggle in a beautiful and graceful manner."
That was aptly demonstrated when a few days after Dr. King's assassination on April 4, 1968, and before his funeral, Scott King led garbage workers in a march in Memphis and later assumed her husband's role at the helm of the Poor People's March in Washington, D.C.
"There were times I thought my decision would be to leave Medgar because I was scared of losing him. Coretta, on the other hand embraced [her husband's] vision and embraced him," Evers-Williams said. "After Martin's assassination she focused in on the thing that was most important to her and that was keeping Martin's life and work in front of the public and never letting it die. That was her life."
For the next four decades, Scott King continued that work. For 27 years (1968-1995) she devoted her life to building and developing the Martin Luther King Center for Nonviolent Social Change, a monument to her husband's life and philosophy. She also lobbied to make Dr. King's birthday, Jan. 15, a national holiday, a fight she won when President Ronald Reagan signed the Act of Congress in 1983. It was first celebrated in 1986.
And she fought other battles, traveling throughout the nation and the world in pursuit and in support of racial and economic justice, employment opportunities, gay and lesbian rights, the needs of the poor and homeless, parity in health care, AIDS awareness and the reduction of gun violence among other concerns.
Sarah Brady, who started the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence after her husband Jim, then-press secretary to President Reagan was shot and seriously wounded in an assassination attempt on the president, said Scott King was a mentor, a hero, a friend and a partner in the fight against gun violence.
"[She] had strength and grace in equal parts," Brady said. "She worked hard to raise her family under an immense burden [yet] she gave of her time and labor to a great many important causes."
Scott King led goodwill missions to countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America and Europe and lent her wisdom and support to world leaders like Corazon Aquino, Kenneth Kaunda and Nelson Mandela, who she supported in the fight to end apartheid in South Africa. She also met with religious leaders like Pope John Paul II, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama.

More here.

posted by L.W. on 02/08/06 at 09:55 PM. [printer-friendly version]

COMMENTS

That Funeral was incredible. It started a noon and was still going at 5:30 when I left work. I'm gonna tell you Bernice King is a preacher like I ain't never heard. She got the spirit.

posted by ATLExile on 02/09/06 at 11:23 AM

I didn't get to see it all, but I'm thankful for second chances:

MEDIA ALERT

Black Family Channel to Rebroadcast the Coretta Scott King Memorial Services in its Entirety

February 9, 2006 (Atlanta) - Black Family Channel will rebroadcast the Coretta Scott King Memorial Services in its entirety on Sunday, February 12 at 9:00pm ET. The re-broadcast will run without advertising, as did the original airing. This rebroadcast will allow those who were unavailable to view the ceremony another chance to reflect upon King�s life and accomplishments. Airtime for the broadcast has been generously donated out of the Black Family Channel Celebrate The Word ministry block by the following ministries who normally air during the slot: Greater St. Matthew Baptist Church � Dr. Gusta Booker � Houston, TX � 8:30p timeslot, First Baptist Church of Sterling � Bishop Leslie Patterson � Sterling, VA � 9:00p timeslot, Church of the Redeemed of the Lord � Bishop Jerome Stokes � Baltimore, MD � 10:30p timeslot, Life Church of God in Christ � Pastor Ron Gibson � Riverside, CA � 11:00p timeslot, Prayer & Share Ministries � Pastor Rogers Decuir � Pasadena, CA � 12:00a timeslot, and SureHouse Open Bible Church � Pastor Gary L. Wyatt � Tacoma, WA � 12:30a timeslot.
---
Black Family Channel
800 Forrest St., NW
Atlanta, GA 30318
404-350-2509
[url=http://www.blackfamilychannel.com]http://www.blackfamilychannel.com[/url]

posted by L.W. on 02/09/06 at 11:01 PM

UPDATE: Broadcast time is 7 PM CST, not 8 PM:

Broadcast time was previously listed erroneously at 9:00pm. The actual broadcast time is 8:00pm
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
MEDIA ALERT

Black Family Channel to Rebroadcast the Coretta Scott King Memorial Services in its Entirety at 8:00pm Sunday ET.

February 9, 2006 (Atlanta) - Black Family Channel will rebroadcast the Coretta Scott King Memorial Services in its entirety on Sunday, February 12 at 8:00pm ET. The re-broadcast will run without advertising, as did the original airing. This rebroadcast will allow those who were unavailable to view the ceremony another chance to reflect upon Kings life and accomplishments. Airtime for the broadcast has been generously donated out of the Black Family Channel Celebrate The Word ministry block by the following ministries who normally air during the slot: Greater St. Matthew Baptist Church Dr. Gusta Booker Houston, TX 8:30p timeslot, First Baptist Church of Sterling Bishop Leslie Patterson Sterling, VA 9:00p timeslot, Church of the Redeemed of the Lord Bishop Jerome Stokes Baltimore, MD 10:30p timeslot, Life Church of God in Christ Pastor Ron Gibson Riverside, CA 11:00p timeslot, Prayer & Share Ministries Pastor Rogers Decuir Pasadena, CA 12:00a timeslot, and SureHouse Open Bible Church Pastor Gary L. Wyatt Tacoma, WA 12:30a timeslot.

posted by L.W. on 02/10/06 at 09:49 PM

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What I did not know about Coretta Scott King…