CORETTA SCOTT KINGThe Woman Behind the Man

Coretta Scott’s childhood

Born in the South, right before the Great Depression Raised on a family farm; modest income Her beginning were not unlike many other

African-Americans of her time Not very likely for Scott to rise up out of

current living situation; segregation had a very strong hold

Experienced racism from a young age

Coretta Growing Up

Like other African-American children of the time, Coretta could clearly see effects of having differences in skin color Could you imagine yourself being deliberately

hated and looked down upon because of the color of your skin, something you could not change? In elementary school! How would you have responded?

Segregation took many avenues School bus transportation Movie theatre seating Education opportunities

Coretta’s Determination

Rooted and grew from the unrelenting segregation experienced growing up

Coretta was fortunate to have encouraging parents Obadiah "Obie" Scott and Bernice McMurray

Scott Pushed and encouraged her to pursue an

education They knew an education would be her only

potential foothold in a deeply segregated country

Graduated valedictorian of her high school class

Won a scholarship to Antioch College Music education “integrated” school : black and white

students; however, racism was still very much alive there

Joined National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), a race-relations and a civil liberties committee

Coretta Scott + Martin Luther King = ♥

Continued education in Boston to study music Met Martin Luther King, Jr. Married in 1953, earned her Bachelor’s

Degree in 1954

Civil Rights Movement

Coretta Scott and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. were perfect to lead the Civil Rights Movement together In sync morally, spiritually, and with issues

and ideals that they were willing to live and die for

The Woman Behind the Man

Coretta was the epitome of a supportive wife

Supported him spiritually Both of Southern Baptist Christian Faith

Supported him physically By his side during nonviolent protests,

marches, sit-ins; physically put her life in danger to fight for justice with him

Supported him financially Fundraised through “freedom concerts”

Dedicating her life to the Movement

http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/kin1int-3

How could she not give up?

Scott King believed in social/civil justice so strongly, that she knew they were doing the right thing

Knew that what they were leading was much bigger than justice just for the people of the South “The means we use must be as pure as the

ends we seek.” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Nonviolence was the only means they were

willing to utilize

The Kings knew their goal, but they did not know how things would play, what would get in their way, etc. but they knew they were going in the right direction. They knew they had to persevere. They were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize,

essentially in honor of their struggles. They knew they hadn’t achieved the peace that the award stood for, so their fight was not over.

Civil Rights Movement Successor

April 4, 1968: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is assassinated in cold blood

Days after her husband’s death, Scott King and her children led the march that Dr. King had intended to

Scott King wanted to carry the torch of the Civil Rights Movement

Scott King valiantly carried on her husband’s spirit and the Movement Created The King Center in Atlanta, Georgia

the same year of her husband’s death As a living memorial, a way to carry on his

nonviolent philosophy, and his ideas about social change

Coretta Scott King

Made a name for herself Became more than the woman behind

the man Never lost sight of what was important; what

she and her husband were adamantly working towards

After her husbands death, she nobly picked up where he left off

Started off in a farm and became a face of a Movement