The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. national holiday not only celebrates the birthday of America’s beloved civil rights activist and Icon but also the service and volunteerism of others. While Dr. King is praised for being an eloquent orator and fearless leader of the Civil Rights Movement, he did not work alone. Men and women organized and marched beside him pushing forth the agenda of equality. Chief among them was his partner and wife Coretta Scott King.
Nearly 60 years after the movement, Coretta’s name has become part of headlines and social media fodder but not for her leadership, support, courage and grace. The Mother, auntie, sister, cousin and daughter of the movement was used as a barometer for a white woman. Mrs. King’s name was used as a way for now-disgraced actor Jonathan Majors to dictate how his white queen should carry herself as a reflection of his status, power and fame. His messaging has become internet foolery—memes abound. Majors’ suggestion and spectacle that followed is disrespectful and diminishes the name of a woman who should only be lauded.
Dr. Bernice A. King, the daughter of Martin and Coretta, couldn’t agree more and explains the sentiment in a Twitter/X post responding to the nonsense.
Bernice tweeted: “My mama was not a prop,” Bernice King continues, “Please understand . . . my mama was a force.”
My mother wasn’t a prop.
She was a peace advocate before she met my father and was instrumental in him speaking out against the Vietnam War.
Please understand…my mama was a force.
Here’s what I wrote about her a few years ago: https://t.co/qdCj7K5vXD#CorettaScottKing pic.twitter.com/8vhKBFm6oJ
— Be A King (@BerniceKing) January 9, 2024
For those who do not know Coretta Scott King as an integral force in the Civil Rights Movement and a Black historical Icon, let AUNTIE enlighten you with five times Coretta was more than a prop.
1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott
Coretta did more than walk beside her husband in life. She literally walked to enact change. Mrs. King helped organize and took part in the Montgomery Bus Boycott while living in Alabama. The historic Boycott would be a wake up call for the Montgomery bus transit system. It could no longer offer their African American customers a second-class ride.
Continued The King Legacy
In 1968, the year Coretta became a widow was the year she became the keeper of the King legacy. While dealing with tremendous grief Ms. King founded the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change in Atlanta, Georgia. The King Center serves to educate the masses about Dr. King’s life, journey and the Civil Rights Movement.
Stood For Justice
In 1999, Coretta sued Lloyd Jowers. Jowers took credit for commissioning the assassination of Dr. King and in an effort to make sure that all parties responsible for Dr. King’s wrongful death saw justice, she took legal action. Though the case King V. Jowers did not establish that Jowers or other entities in the federal government had a hand in Dr. King’s Murder, it solidified her stance on justice no matter how long it takes.
MLK National Holiday
First proposed by Congressman John Conyers of Michigan in 1968, the MLK National Day Of Service Bill was rejected. It would take 15 years and the help of musician Stevie Wonder to get the bill passed. Mrs. King and Wonder would gain the signatures of 6 million people in favor of the bill. On August 23, 1994, the King Holiday and Service Act was signed into federal law.
Supporting Black People Around The World
After working tirelessly on American civil rights, raising children and keeping the life and legacy of Dr. King alive, Corette turned her sights to issues facing the Black diaspora. In 1985, Mrs. King became a loud and proud opponent of apartheid. According to The National Women’s Hall Of Fame – in which King was inducted in 2011, “In 1985, Coretta was arrested at the South African Embassy in Washington, DC., while protesting apartheid. King’s three children were also detained and booked
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