[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 13 (Tuesday, February 7, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S739-S740]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     REMEMBERING CORETTA SCOTT KING

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, with the passing of Coretta Scott King, 
we have lost the First Lady of America's civil rights movement. She and 
her husband, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., helped awaken the 
Nation to a dream of an America where each person, to use Dr. King's 
beautifully profound formulation, is judged by the content of his 
character, not the color of his skin. Ms. King continued to sustain the 
dream after her husband's death. We can take comfort in the hope that, 
38 years after his tragic death, this couple has been reunited at last.
  Because of Coretta Scott King, Dr. King's legacy is still alive. Her 
tireless efforts led to the establishment of Martin Luther King Day on 
the third Monday of January every year beginning in 1986 to mark Dr. 
King birthday.
  Because of Ms. King, Americans everywhere can explore Dr. King life 
and vision through the King Center in Atlanta. Established in 1968, the 
King Center attracts over 650,000 visitors annually.
  Born in poverty in Heiberger, AL, in 1927, Coretta Scott grew up in 
the midst of segregation, walking to a one-room schoolhouse every day 
as a school bus full of white children passed her by. But these harsh 
surroundings did not extinguish her spirit.

[[Page S740]]

  As a girl, she enjoyed singing and had the talent to attend Boston's 
New England Conservatory of Music to train as a classical singer. She 
would later lend her gift to the civil rights cause, singing at over 30 
Freedom Concerts to raise money for the movement.
  It was while in Boston, in February, 1952, that Coretta first met a 
23-year-old Martin Luther King, who was pursuing his doctorate in 
theology at Boston University. As a lonely southerner in a northern 
town, he asked a mutual friend if she knew any nice young ladies he 
could meet. She mentioned the name Coretta Scott, and described her as 
``pretty and intelligent.''
  The young King persuaded the friend to give him Ms. Scott's number 
and asked if she'd put in a good word for him. Soon, he called for a 
date. Displaying a bit of verbal flair, he said, ``You know, every 
Napoleon has his Waterloo. I'm like Napoleon at Waterloo before your 
charms.''
  ``Why, that's absurd. You haven't seen me yet,'' Coretta replied.
  Undeterred, he finally convinced her to let me take her out for lunch 
between classes. ``I have a green Chevy that usually takes 10 minutes 
to make the trip from Boston University,'' he told her. ``But tomorrow, 
I'll do it in 7.''
  That was 1952. They were married in 1953.
  Ms. King once said, ``I was married to the man whom I loved, but I 
was also married to the movement.'' Her entire life was intertwined 
with the fight to stamp out the injustices of racism and inequality.
  After her husband's life was tragically cut short, Ms. King 
persevered, raising four young children on her own. It must have been a 
lonely struggle . . . but her dignity and grace inspired a nation.
  A few days ago, Ms. King became the first African-American to lie in 
honor in the Georgia State Capitol rotunda. Today she will be laid to 
rest alongside her husband, at the King Center in Atlanta, and for all 
time they will be reunited.
  Martin Luther King once said of his wife, ``I think on many points, 
she educated me.'' Now, at the end of her celebrated life, many of us 
feel the same way. Dr. and Mrs. King helped educate America by forcing 
it to look itself in the mirror, face up to its failings, and recommit 
itself to its founding ideals.
  So today, Coretta Scott King will be laid to rest in her beloved 
Georgia, next to the husband she lost 38 years ago. As the whole Nation 
reflects today on her incalculable contributions to human progress, I 
am reminded of Dr. King's own simple wish:

       I don't know how long I'll live, and I'm not concerned 
     about that--but I hope I can live so well that the preacher 
     can get up and say, ``He was faithful.'' That's all, that's 
     enough. That's the sermon I'd like to hear: ``Well done my 
     good and faithful servant.''

  Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I rise to salute the life and legacy of 
Coretta Scott King. She earned a place not just in our history but in 
our hearts. She was a true trailblazer for women, for the African-
American community. She was an inspiration for all Americans. I feel 
privileged to have known Mrs. King throughout much of my political 
career. Her family is in my thoughts and prayers.
  Mrs. King's courage and faith were remarkable. She insisted that she 
had her own voice in the civil rights movement at a time when women 
were often not recognized for their own talents and merit. Not only was 
she resolute, but she was feisty--someone after my own heart.
  Mrs. King's life story was remarkable--even before she met Dr. King. 
She was born into rural poverty in Alabama and grew up in a two-room 
house that her father built. She came from a hard-working family. Her 
father hauled timber, owned a country store, and worked as a barber. 
Her mother drove a schoolbus. Growing up in the segregated South, 
Coretta Scott King saw the injustices of racial discrimination. Yet she 
saw the value in working hard and fighting for her dreams. She attended 
college and the New England Conservatory, where she trained as a 
classical musician.
  It was while studying music in Boston that she met Martin Luther 
King, Jr. From the beginning of their marriage, Coretta Scott King 
maintained her own identity and voice. She was Dr. King's true partner 
marching by his side and speaking out on her own. At the same time, she 
was a mother, raising four children. The entire family lived with 
threats and intimidation.
  We all remember those tragic days after the assassination of Martin 
Luther King. She comforted a nation that was torn apart. She is the 
reason we have a national holiday that honors Dr. King.
  She fought for equality before the law, for economic justice, and for 
lifting people out of poverty. Her vision was put to action when she 
founded the King Center for Nonviolent Social Change and saw to it that 
the center became deeply involved with the issues that she believed 
breed violence--hunger, unemployment, voting right, and racism.
  Coretta Scott King took her message of nonviolence to every corner of 
this country and to almost every corner of the world. She led missions 
to Africa, Latin America, Europe, and Asia. She was the first woman to 
give a class-day address at Harvard and the first woman to preach at 
the statutory service at St. Paul's Cathedral in London, England.
  Coretta Scott King will be remembered throughout American history for 
her grace, strength, and belief that all people should be treated with 
dignity and equality. We must honor her legacy not just with words but 
with actions. We must recommit ourselves to the principles she stood 
for--opportunity, equality, and empowerment.
  Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. President, I rise today to speak about the life 
and contributions of an American civil rights icon, Mrs. Coretta Scott 
King.
  Many people know Mrs. King as the wife of one of America's greatest 
citizens, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King's enduring legacy of 
nonviolence and his quest for racial equality permanently altered the 
social fabric of America. Mrs. King will always be remembered as a part 
of Dr. King's life and legacy that are rightfully celebrated across our 
great land and throughout the world. However, Dr. King's towering 
accomplishments should not obscure the fact that Mrs. King held her own 
historic place in our Nation's struggle for equal opportunity.
  I am reminded of the time some 20 years ago when Mrs. King came to 
see me when I was Governor of Tennessee. We were working to establish a 
holiday in honor of her late husband. It was harder work than it should 
have been, and I am reminded of how far we have come even since that 
time.
  Mrs. King was the founding president of the Martin Luther King, Jr. 
Center for Nonviolent Social Change which continued to promote the 
noble philosophies of Dr. King. In addition to promoting the memory of 
her husband and his great work, Mrs. King created her own legacy as she 
traveled throughout America and across the globe to champion racial 
equality, women's rights, religious freedom, health care, and 
education.
  We all know that Mrs. King was born in a time when America was very 
different than it is today. Little Black boys and girls could not go to 
school with little White boys and girls. Plessy v. Ferguson had not yet 
been overruled, so ``separate but equal'' was the law of the land. 
Lynchings were common and in many places the Ku Klux Klan terrorized 
Black communities, often operating with near impunity. As we look back 
on the amazing progress we have made since then, we remember those who 
were responsible for helping America turn away from the sins of 
injustice and inequality.
  As a wife, a mother, and a leader of the civil rights movement, Mrs. 
King showed strength and dignity. With quiet determination, she 
preserved her husband's legacy and created her own place in the history 
of our Nation's struggle for equal opportunity.

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