Coretta Scott King
A Deeply Inspiring and Extraordinary Shero
“Nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral questions of our time. Peace is not a passive state. It is an active process that demands courage, sacrifice, and commitment.”
Coretta Scott King
From Johnnetta:
I never had the privilege of being in close contact with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. But one of the greatest gifts I have received in life was knowing Coretta Scott King as a priceless sister friend. One of the most unforgettable experiences that I was blessed with was when Coretta Scott King and I spent a weekend together at a spa outside of Atlanta.
I’m especially grateful for the way that Coretta Scott King supported women and people in the LGBTQ+ plus community. Her special assistant was Lynn Cothren, a gay white man who Coretta Scott King said taught her so much about his marginalized community.
Some months ago, I went to Antioch College where there is a Coretta Scott King Center. It was a deeply moving experience to be on that campus and despite my close relationship with her, to learn even more about one of the great sheros of all times.
My sister Snowden shared with me her experience at an intimate event where Coretta Scott King was being honored. Snowden sensed that while Coretta Scott King’s circumstances demanded that she be distant from those with whom she was speaking for security reasons, Coretta Scott King was a very warm and caring person. I can definitely attest to that.
Coretta Scott King was an extraordinary changemaker, pacifist and activist whose life and courage continue to inspire so many people across our country and our world. Born in 1927 in Alabama, she grew up picking cotton on a family farm that had been theirs since the Civil War. An excellent student, Coretta Scott was high school valedictorian and went on to college at both Antioch, where she earned a B.A. in music and education, and the New England Conservatory of Music, earning a Bachelor of Music in violin and voice. One of the few Black students admitted to the Conservatory at the time, her determination carried her through school. As she once reflected, “When the heart is right, the mind and the body will follow,” illustrating how even her younger life was centered in purpose.
While at school in Boston, a mutual friend introduced Corretta Scott to Martin Luther King, Jr., a doctoral student at Boston University. Their first phone call was significant: Martin Luther King Jr. recalled that he was impressed by Coretta Scott’s wisdom, passionate views on social justice and her independence. Clearly a woman in her own right, they didn’t just have a meeting of the minds, they had a harmony of values.
Photo by gene Herrick, Boston Globe
They married in 1953 and settled in Montgomery, Alabama, right in the center of the civil rights movement. Dr. King became pastor at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church. While entrenched in the community, Coretta Scott King raised four children and faced a challenging life. During the Montgomery Bus Boycott, Coretta Scott King endured harassment, and constant threats of violence. In 1956, their home was bombed while she and their infant daughter were inside. They emerged physically unharmed, and united more deeply in the fight for civil rights.
Photo from Jet Magazine
All throughout the Civil Rights Movement, Coretta Scott King stood beside her husband as a grounded force of good, weaving her musical gifts into the fabric of activism. She continually put her body on the line for peace, traveling to Ghana for its independence in 1957, and to India to honor Mahatma Gandhi’s nonviolent philosophy.
Coretta Scott King had a major impact on her husband’s positions on peace and internationalism, examining the moral costs of war and nuclear disarmament. She made use of her considerable musical talent, organizing Freedom Concerts to raise funds for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, while her husband traveled and preached. Theirs was a true partnership, forged by the pressure of trying to live ethically and raise children while under constant attack. She reflected, “Hate is too great a burden to bear. It injures the hater more than it injures the hated.”
Pulitzer winning photo by Moneta Sleet
Following the deeply tragic assassination of Dr. King on April 4, 1968, Coretta Scott King transformed her grief into powerful action, founding the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change just months later. This center was specifically designed to teach peace strategies and grounded decision-making. As Coretta Scott King began speaking out more herself, she was the first woman to deliver Harvard’s class day address in 1968, and to preach at London’s St. Paul’s Cathedral in 1969. Continuing to be upset by militarism and violence, she worked hard to lobby against nuclear proliferation and spent years supporting groups like the National Committee for a SANE Nuclear Policy.
President Reagan with Coretta Scott King Photo by Reagan White House
One of her most significant actions was lobbying tirelessly for 15 years to establish Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a federal holiday, which was signed into law in 1983. This was a great accomplishment and every year, people in the United States remember the legacy she and her husband left. She also continued to work globally, including anti-apartheid protests where she was arrested outside the South African Embassy. “We must not be silent about our opposition to war and violence. Silence is betrayal.”
Coretta Scott King was also a huge champion for women’s rights, LGBTQ+ dignity, and economic justice. As she said, “Homophobia is like racism and anti-Semitism… it aims to strip whole groups of their humanity.” Supporting the 20th Anniversary March on Washington in 1983 and advocating for full employment for women, she said, “Women, if the soul of the nation is to be saved, I believe that you must become its soul.” In 1994, Coretta Scott King trained 300,000 South African voters in nonviolence for their first multiracial election. She continually took action for peace.
Coretta Scott King wrote eight books including her autobiography and My Life with Martin Luther King, Jr. She penned syndicated columns, and received over 60 honorary doctorates, all while continuing to work for human rights around the world. She affirmed, “Struggle is a never-ending process. Freedom is never really won, you earn it and win it in every generation.”
Coretta Scott King is a true shero, one who lived her purpose until she died from cancer in 2006. Her constant vigilance and dedication to peace, non-violence and unity are remarkable reminders of what one person can do to impact the world.
Throughout her life, Coretta Scott King advocated for
- peace
- unity
- non-violence
- racial equality
- LGBTQ+ rights
- women’s rights
- nuclear diasarmament
Lessons from Coretta Scott King’s Life:
Art and culture are pathways to powerful messages.
A gifted and classically trained musician, Coretta Scott King understood that music, lyrics and storytelling could motivate people to action. Her Freedom Concerts made a huge difference and funded civil rights events, impacting those who would not have otherwise protested. She understood that the language of music is powerful; it can sway minds and soften hearts.
Nonviolence is not weakness – it is a strategic practice. Coretta Scott King understood that non-violence demanded preparation, training, and stamina, especially when people were faced with frequent attacks. This is an important message in today’s world, when “nonviolence” is often misread as passive. She believed that peace and nonviolence were tools to be learned and practiced often. “If you believe in peace, you believe in nonviolence. If you believe in nonviolence, you believe in peace.”
Leadership means not quitting, even after terrible loss. Many people would have retired after their partner was so tragically killed. But not Coretta Scott King. She immediately went to work founding The King Center for peace and nonviolence training. She then began lobbying for a national holiday in honor of her husband. It took her fifteen years before she succeeded, but she never quit. “The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.”
Action Steps You Can Take:
- Martin Luther King Day isn’t the only day to do some kind of volunteer work in honor of the legacy of Martin Luther King and Coretta Scott King. Check your community listings for opportunities and give back.
- Take a stand against violence. Learn more about peaceful communication. Marshall Rosenberg has a great book called Non-Violent Communication. As Coretta Scott King said, “Nonviolence nurtures and restores self-respect, even in those who oppose it.”
- Read one of Coretta Scott King’s books to hear her voice and her passion. It will deeply inspire you.
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