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Coretta Scott King, wife of Martin Luther King Jr., forged her own path as an activist. She founded the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change in 1969 after her husband’s assassination. She won the Congressional Gold Medal and the Gandhi Peace Prize, among others. She died in 2006 in Rosarito Beach, Mexico from respiratory pneumonia.
Names, aliases, and relatives of Coretta Scott King — birth name, kin, and personal ties.
Coretta Scott King by the numbers — life, work, and family.
Coretta Scott King — early life, career, personal life, and legacy.
Coretta Scott was born on April 27, 1927 in Marion, Alabama. She grew up with her sister Edythe Scott Bagley and brother Obie Leonard Scott. She attended Antioch College and later studied at the New England Conservatory of Music. Her family has Native American ancestry.
Coretta Scott King first gained public attention alongside her husband during the Civil Rights Movement. After his assassination on April 4, 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee, she founded the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change in 1969. She continued to advocate for peace and justice, appearing in documentaries like 4 Little Girls 1997 and King in the Wilderness 2018. In the 1980s, she wrote a letter to the Senate opposing Jeff Sessions’s nomination to a federal judgeship.
Coretta Scott King married Martin Luther King Jr. and they had four children: Yolanda King 1955-2007, Martin Luther King III born 1957, Dexter King 1961-2024, and Bernice King born 1963. After her husband’s assassination in 1968, she dedicated herself to raising their children while continuing his work. She was the daughter-in-law of Martin Luther King Sr. and sister-in-law of Christine King Farris.
Coretta Scott King’s legacy lives on through the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, which she founded in 1969. She received the Congressional Gold Medal and the Gandhi Peace Prize. In 1986, she was awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor. Her life has been portrayed by actresses Carmen Ejogo, Angela Bassett, and others in film and television.
The complete filmography of Coretta Scott King — every film, TV show, and documentary credit, ranked by popularity.
Every award, honor, and recognition received by Coretta Scott King — Grammys, hall-of-fame inductions, civic honors, lifetime achievements.
A wall of memorable lines from Coretta Scott King — lyrics, interviews, and off-the-cuff remarks captured over a lifetime.
Homophobia Is Like Racism and Anti-Semitism and Other Forms of Bigotry in That It Seeks to Dehumanize a Large Group of People, to Deny Their Humanity, Their Dignity and Personhood.
I Still Hear People Say That I Should Not Be Talking About the Rights of Lesbian and Gay People and I Should Stick to the Issue of Racial Justice. but I Hasten to Remind Them That Martin Luther King Jr. Said, ‘Injustice Anywhere Is a Threat to Justice Everywhere.’ I Appeal to Everyone Who Believes in Martin Luther King Jr.’s Dream to Make Room at the Table of Brother – and Sisterhood for Lesbian and Gay People.
Little-known facts about Coretta Scott King — origins, oddities, and behind-the-scenes details from a public life.
Native American ancestry was part of Coretta Scott King’s heritage.
She was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.
In 1969, Coretta Scott King founded the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, which became a multi-million dollar institution.
At the time of her death, Coretta Scott King was battling advanced ovarian cancer.
Her four children were Yolanda King 1955-2007, Martin Luther King III born 1957, Dexter King 1961-2024, and Bernice King born 1963.
Following Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination on April 4, 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee, she sustained his dream while raising their four children.
She was the daughter-in-law of Martin Luther King Sr.
In the 1980s, Coretta Scott King wrote a letter to the Senate opposing Jeff Sessions’s nomination to a federal judgeship, a letter that resurfaced when Sessions became Attorney General in 2017.
She was the sister-in-law of Christine King Farris.
In 1986, she received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor from the Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation.
Her siblings included Edythe Scott Bagley and Obie Leonard Scott.
Actresses who have portrayed Coretta Scott King include Carmen Ejogo twice, Carra Patterson, Sharon Lewis, Weruche Opia, and Angela Bassett.
Quick answers to the questions readers ask most about Coretta Scott King.
Celebrities similar to Coretta Scott King — same craft, ranked by reach.
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