Later life Coretta Scott King

1 later life

1.1 opposition apartheid
1.2 peacemaking
1.3 lgbt equality
1.4 king center

later life

king attending 1976 democratic national convention



king, along rosalynn carter, andrew young, jimmy carter, , other civil rights leaders during visit ebenezer baptist church in atlanta, january 14, 1979

every year after assassination of husband in 1968, coretta attended commemorative service @ ebenezer baptist church in atlanta mark birthday on january 15. fought years make national holiday. in 1972, said there should @ least 1 national holiday year in tribute african-american man, and, @ point, martin best candidate have. murray m. silver, atlanta attorney, made appeal @ services on january 14, 1979. coretta scott king later confirmed ...best, productive appeal ever... coretta scott king successful in campaign in 1986, when martin luther king, jr. day made federal holiday.

after death of j. edgar hoover, king made no attempt hide bitterness towards him work against husband in long statement. coretta scott king attended state funeral of lyndon b. johnson in 1973, close friend of former president. on july 25, 1978, king held press conference in defense of then-ambassador andrew young , controversial statement on political prisoners in american jails. on september 19, 1979, mrs. king visited lyndon b. johnson ranch meet lady bird johnson. in 1979 , 1980 dr. noel erskine , mrs. king co-taught class on theology of martin luther king, jr. @ candler school of theology (emory university). on september 29, 1980, king s signing commentator cnn announced ted turner.

on august 26, 1983, king resented endorsing jesse jackson president, since wanted believed beat ronald reagan, , dismissed husband becoming presidential candidate had lived. on june 26, 1985, king arrested daughter bernice , son martin luther king iii while taking part in anti-apartheid protest @ embassy of south africa in washington, d.c.

coretta scott attends signing of martin luther king jr. day president ronald reagan on november 2, 1983

when president ronald reagan signed legislation establishing martin luther king, jr. day, @ event. reagan called apologize remark made during nationally televised conference, said know in 35 years whether or not king communist sympathizer. reagan clarified remarks came fact papers had been sealed off until year 2027. king accepted apology , pointed out senate select committee on assassinations had not found basis suggest husband had communist ties. on february 9, 1987, 8 civil rights activists jailed protesting exclusion of african-americans during filming of oprah winfrey show in cumming, georgia. oprah winfrey tried find out why community has not allowed black people live there since 1912. king outraged on arrests, , wanted members of group, coalition end fear , intimidation in forsyth county, meet georgia governor joe frank harris seek resolution of situation. on march 8, 1989, king lectured hundreds of students civil rights movement @ university of san diego. king tried not involved in controversy around naming of san diego convention center after husband. maintained people within community , people had tried involved in kind of local situations.

on january 17, 1993, king showed disdain u.s. missile attack on iraq. in retaliation, suggested peace protests. on february 16, 1993, king went fbi headquarters , gave approving address on director william s. sessions having fbi turn on abuses of hoover era. king commended sessions leadership in bringing women , minorities fbi , being true friend of civil rights. king admitted not have accepted arrangement had not been sessions, then-current director. on january 17, 1994, day marking 65th birthday of husband, king said no injustice, no matter how great, can excuse single act of violence against human being. in january 1995, qubilah shabazz indicted on charges of using telephones , crossing state lines in plot kill louis farrakhan. king defended her, saying @ riverside church in harlem federal prosecutors targeted tarnish father malcolm x s legacy. during fall of 1995, king chaired attempt register 1 million african-american female voters presidential election next year fellow widows betty shabazz , myrlie evers , saluted daughter yolanda in washington hotel ballroom. on october 12, 1995, king spoke o. j. simpson murder case, negated having longterm affect on relations between races when speaking audience @ soka university in calabasas. on january 24, 1996, king delivered 40-minute speech @ loyola university s lake shore campus in rogers park. called pick torch of freedom , lead america towards great revolution. on june 1, 1997, betty shabazz suffered extensive , life-threatening burns after grandson malcolm shabazz started fire in home. in response hospitalization of longtime friend, mrs. king donated $5,000 rehabilitation fund her. shabazz died on june 23, 1997, 3 weeks after being burned.

during 1990s, king subject multiple break-ins , encountered lyndon fitzgerald pace, man admitted killing women in area. broke in house in middle of night , found while sitting in bed. after 8 years of staying in home following encounter, king moved condominium unit had been home, albeit part-time, singers elton john , janet jackson. in 1999, king family succeeded in getting jury verdict saying husband victim of murder conspiracy after suing loyd jowers, claimed 6 years prior having paid other james earl ray kill husband. on april 4, 2000, king visited husband s grave sons, daughter bernice , sister-in-law. regarding plans construct monument husband in washington, d.c., king said complete group of memorials in nation s capital honoring democracy s greatest leaders, including abraham lincoln, george washington, thomas jefferson, , martin luther king, jr. became vegan in last 10 years of life.

opposition apartheid

during 1980s, coretta scott king reaffirmed long-standing opposition apartheid, participating in series of sit-in protests in washington, d.c. prompted nationwide demonstrations against south african racial policies.

king had 10-day trip south africa in september 1986. on september 9, 1986, cancelled meeting president p. w. botha , mangosuthu gatsha buthelezi. next day, met allan boesak. udf leadership, boesak , winnie mandela had threatened avoiding meeting king if met botha , buthelezi. met mandela day, , called 1 of greatest , meaningful moments of life. mandela s husband still being imprisoned in pollsmoor prison after being transferred robben island in 1982. prior leaving united states meeting, king drew comparisons between civil rights movement , mandela s case. upon return united states, urged reagan approve economic sanctions against south africa.

peacemaking

coretta scott king long-time advocate world peace. author michael eric dyson has called earlier , more devoted pacifist husband. although mrs. king object term pacifism ; advocate of non-violent direct action achieve social change. in 1957, mrs. king 1 of founders of committee sane nuclear policy (now called peace action), , spoke in san francisco while husband spoke in new york @ major anti-vietnam war march on april 15, 1967 organized spring mobilization committee end war in vietnam.

mrs. king vocal in opposition capital punishment , 2003 invasion of iraq.

lgbt equality

corretta scott king supporter in struggle gay , lesbian civil rights. in august, 1983 in washington, d.c., urged amendment of civil rights act include gays , lesbians protected class.

in response supreme court s 1986 decision in bowers v. hardwick there no constitutional right engage in consensual sodomy, king s longtime friend, winston johnson of atlanta, came out , instrumental in arranging king featured speaker @ september 27, 1986 new york gala of human rights campaign fund. reported in new york native, king stated there express solidarity gay , lesbian movement. applauded gays , lesbians having been part of civil rights movement.

on april 1, 1998 @ palmer house hilton in chicago, mrs. king called on civil rights community join in struggle against homophobia , anti-gay bias. homophobia racism , anti-semitism , other forms of bigotry in seeks dehumanize large group of people, deny humanity, dignity , personhood , stated. sets stage further repression , violence spread victimize next minority group.

in speech in november 2003 @ opening session of 13th annual creating change conference, organized national gay , lesbian task force, coretta scott king made famous appeal linking civil rights movement lgbt rights: still hear people should not talking rights of lesbian , gay people. ... hasten remind them martin luther king, jr. said, injustice anywhere threat justice everywhere. appeal believes in martin luther king, jr. s dream, make room @ table of brotherhood , sisterhood lesbian , gay people.

coretta scott king s support of lgbt rights criticized black pastors. called critics misinformed , said martin luther king s message world 1 of equality , inclusion.

in 2003, invited national gay , lesbian task force take part in observances of 40th anniversary of march on washington , martin luther king s have dream speech. first time lgbt rights group had been invited major event of african-american community.

on march 23, 2004, told audience @ richard stockton college of new jersey in pomona, new jersey, same-sex marriage civil rights issue. denounced proposed amendment advanced president george w. bush united states constitution ban equal marriage rights same-sex couples. in speech, king criticized group of black pastors in home state of georgia backing bill amend state s constitution block gay , lesbian couples marrying. scott king quoted saying gay , lesbian people have families, , families should have legal protection, whether marriage or civil union. constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages form of gay bashing , nothing @ protect traditional marriage.

the king center

established in 1968 coretta scott king, king center official memorial dedicated advancement of legacy , ideas of martin luther king, jr., leader of nonviolent movement justice, equality , peace. 2 days after husband s funeral, king began planning $15 million funding memorial. handed reins ceo , president of king center down son, dexter scott king. kings had difficulty gathering papers since in different locations, including colleges attended , archives. king had group of supporters begin gathering husband s papers in 1967, year before death. after raising funds private sector , government, financed building of complex in 1981.

in 1984, came under criticism hosea williams, 1 of husband s earliest followers, having used king center promote authentic material on husband s dreams , ideals, , disqualified merchandise attempt exploit husband. sanctioned kit, contained wall poster, 5 photographs of king , family, cassette of have dream speech, booklet of tips on how celebrate martin luther king, jr. day , 5 postcards quotations king himself. believed authentic way celebrate holiday honoring husband, , denied hosea s claims.

king sued husband s alma mater of boston university on keep on 83,000 documents in december 1987, , said documents belonged king archives. however, husband held word university; had stated after receiving nobel peace prize in 1964 papers kept @ college. coretta s lawyers argued statement not binding , mentioned king had not left @ time of death. king testified president of boston university john r. silber in 1985 meeting demanded send university of husband s documents instead of other way around. king released statement, dr. king wanted south repository of bulk of papers. king center library , archives complete , have 1 of finest civil-rights collections in world, time papers returned home.

on january 17, 1992, president george h. w. bush laid wreath @ tomb of husband , met , greeted mrs. king @ center. king praised bush s support holiday, , joined hands him @ end of ceremony , sang shall overcome.

on may 6, 1993, court rejected claims papers after finding july 16, 1964 letter king s husband wrote institute had constituted binding charitable pledge university , outright stating martin luther king retained ownership of papers until giving them university gifts or death. king however, said husband had changed mind allowing boston university keep papers. after son dexter took on president of king center second time in 1994, king given more time write, address issues , spend time parents.