[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 14 (Wednesday, February 8, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E105]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    HONORING THE LIFE AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF MRS. CORETTA SCOTT KING

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. GEORGE MILLER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 31, 2006

  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay 
tribute to Coretta Scott King, who, sadly, passed away last week at the 
age of 78.
  Mrs. King will be greatly missed and fondly remembered as a 
remarkable woman who passionately worked with her husband, Martin 
Luther King, Jr., in America's nonviolent struggle for equal rights and 
who pursued the vision of equality and justice long after his tragic 
death in 1968. While I and constituents throughout my district, 
including those in Richmond, California, mourn her loss we remember her 
achievements, her courage, and what she symbolized to people across the 
country and throughout the world.
  While she was Dr. King's partner in the struggle for equal rights, 
Coretta Scott King was also a civil rights activist in her own right. 
Dr. King once said, ``I wish I could say . . . that I led her down this 
path. But I must say we went down it together, because she was as 
actively involved and concerned when we met as she is now.''
  An inspirational woman to so many already, Mrs. King will remain a 
role model for generations to come.
  When her husband's fight for equality was cut short by the brutal 
shot of bigotry and hatred, Mrs. King's fight had only just begun. And 
now with her death, we face the same question she faced so many years 
ago. President Clinton eloquently spoke about this question yesterday 
at Mrs. King's funeral service in Atlanta when he said,

       . . . the most important day in her life for everyone of us 
     here at this moment in this church, except when she embraced 
     her faith, the next most important day was April 5, 1968, the 
     day after her husband was killed. She had to decide, ``What 
     am I going to do with the rest of my life?'' We would have 
     all forgiven her, even honored her if she said, ``I have 
     stumbled on enough stony roads. I have been beaten by enough 
     bitter rods. I have endured enough dangers, toils and snares. 
     I'm going home and raising my kids. I wish you all well.'' 
     None of us, nobody could have condemned that decision. But 
     instead, she went to Memphis--the scene of the worst 
     nightmare of her life--and led that march for those poor 
     hard-working garbage workers that her husband [advocated 
     for]. Now, that's the most important thing for us. Because 
     what really matters if you believe all this stuff we've been 
     saying is, ``What are we going to do with the rest of our 
     lives?''

  Indeed, she went on to work so hard for all of us. In addition to her 
efforts to build the Martin Luther King memorial in Atlanta to 
establishing a national holiday in her husband's memory, Coretta Scott 
King worked tirelessly so that her husband's struggle, and the struggle 
of the millions of Americans who worked with him and shared his vision 
to bring equality to all people, was never forgotten.
  She took upon herself the responsibility of keeping alive Dr. King's 
civil rights legacy but also found her own causes. She advocated 
equality for all. She became active with the National Organization for 
Women and said, ``Women, if the soul of the Nation is to be saved, I 
believe that you must become its soul.'' In 2000 she spoke at a 
fundraiser sponsored by the Metropolitan Community Church, a 
predominantly gay denomination in San Francisco, where she gave a 
powerful speech expressing that ``until everybody has equality; no one 
has equality. We can't just be for civil rights of one group.''
  The King family has a strong history with the community in Richmond, 
CA.
  Mrs. King's speech in San Francisco inspired Jerrold Hatchett of 
Richmond to form the National Brotherhood Alliance, a non-profit 
organization that serves as a collaborative of business, community, 
religious, and grassroots organizations to mentor youth and address 
community issues.
  Richmond Mayor Irma Anderson remembers attending Union Methodist 
Church in Boston with the Kings. Her husband, Rev. Booker T. Anderson, 
who went on to become a Richmond city councilman, attended Boston 
University School of Theology with Dr. King. Their relationship was one 
of the reasons Dr. King stopped in Richmond to meet with local leaders 
when he visited northern California in 1961. Mayor Anderson remembers 
Mrs. King as being loyal to her husband and family and supportive of 
the civil rights movement, and she had a beautiful singing voice.
  Mayor Anderson said that, ``Mrs. King's singing voice changed after 
her husband was murdered.'' It, however, did not alter her passion for 
justice and she continued her struggles against injustice.
  Mr. Speaker, on behalf of my constituents, I rise to acknowledge the 
loss of a great woman, a mother, a friend to all and a hero. I extend 
my heartfelt condolences to the King family and their friends in this 
difficult time.
  America owes the entire King family an enormous debt of gratitude for 
teaching all Americans the meaning of dignity, patriotism and justice. 
This Congress, and this nation, must not let down Dr. King down. We 
must not let Mrs. King down. We must pursue their vision of justice and 
freedom as vigilantly today as ever before and preserve the greatness 
of America for our children and our children's children.

                          ____________________