Coretta King African American rights activist, wife of Martin Luther King Date of Birth: 27.04.1927 Country: USA

Biography of Coretta King

Coretta Scott King was a prominent civil rights activist and the wife of Martin Luther King Jr. Throughout her life, she dedicated herself to fighting for the rights of African Americans. Born on April 27, 1927, in Perry County, Alabama, Coretta was the daughter of Ovid Scott and Bernice McMurray Scott. She had a sister named Edith and a brother named Ovid Leonard. Her parents were successful farmers, owning their own truck and lumberyard.

Coretta attended elementary school and then went on to attend Lincoln School, the closest school for African Americans located 14 kilometers from their home in Marion. After finishing high school, she enrolled at Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio. She received a scholarship and later transferred to the New England Conservatory in Boston, Massachusetts, where she earned a degree in voice and violin.

It was in Boston that Coretta met her future husband, Martin Luther King Jr. Despite opposition from her parents due to the age difference (Martin Luther was two years younger), they married on June 18, 1953, in Coretta's mother's house. After completing their studies, Coretta and Martin Luther moved to Montgomery, Alabama.

During their 15 years of marriage, Coretta gave birth to four children: two daughters, Yolanda and Bernice Albertine, and two sons, Martin Luther King III and Dexter Scott. Their family faced constant harassment and threats from radical racists. In one incident, their home was bombed, but luckily, they all survived, including Coretta, who was holding their 2-month-old baby at the time.

Tragically, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated by a sniper in Memphis. However, Coretta did not lose faith in the fight for civil rights. She continued her husband's work, leading the movement against racism, discrimination, and colonialism. Coretta also advocated for the rights of sexual minorities and women. She founded the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change and published memoirs about her life with Martin Luther King Jr.

In the early 2000s, Coretta began to experience health problems. In August 2005, she suffered a massive stroke and myocardial infarction. After spending a month in the hospital, she was forced to retire from public life and passed on her responsibilities to her children. Her final public appearance, in honor of her husband's memory, took place on January 14, 2006.

Two weeks later, on January 30, Coretta Scott King passed away at a rehabilitation center in Rosarito Beach, Mexico, where she was undergoing treatment for ovarian cancer. Over 14,000 people attended her funeral at the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia, Georgia. She was laid to rest next to her husband in the King Center's mausoleum.