[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 14 (Wednesday, February 8, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E97]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


      HONORING THE LIFE AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF CORETTA SCOTT KING

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 1, 2006

  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor and remembrance of 
Coretta Scott King, devoted wife, mother, grandmother and civil rights 
leader, whose courageous mission has left an indelible light of peace 
and justice visible across our country and around the world. Mrs. King 
gracefully raised aloft the dreams and legacy of the most prominent 
visionary for social change in our nation's history, her husband, Dr. 
Martin Luther King, Jr. Their unified mission of peacefully dismantling 
the racist foundation of America would change the course of our Nation 
forever.
  Mrs. King's entire life was framed by dignity, courage and an 
unwavering commitment to social justice and humanitarian causes. She 
grew up working in the cotton fields of Alabama, where she experienced 
the harsh reality of racism. Taught by her parents that only a solid 
education could open the door to freedom and opportunity, Mrs. King 
focused on her studies and graduated with honors from Antioch College 
in southern Ohio, one of the first integrated colleges in the country. 
While a student, she joined the NAACP and became deeply involved in the 
civil rights movement, foregoing a career in music to carry out the 
work of peace and justice.
  The assassination of Dr. King did not diminish her resolve. She 
courageously forged ahead on the road to justice, despite the danger 
inherent in her noble cause. As a young widow with four young children 
to raise, Mrs. King remained steadfast in her commitment to her 
children and also unwavering in her determination to continue on the 
path set by Dr. King. She took up the torch of her late husband, 
holding it high and dignified, exposing a broken society degraded by 
racism and injustice and illuminating the reality of peaceful change.
  Refined, articulate and reflecting a quiet grace, Mrs. King did not 
retreat from the movement sparked by Dr. King. She deliberately stepped 
out into the sharp glare of the public and bravely marched on, leading 
civil protests where her husband had marched before. She led an 
unrelenting effort to establish Martin Luther King Jr. Day, an endeavor 
that took her fifteen years and over six million petitions. Determined 
to keep Dr. King's legacy alive, Mrs. King founded the King Center in 
1968, serving as its president for 26 years.
  Armed with a sharp mind, a warm smile and a passion for social 
change, Mrs. King journeyed around the world, speaking to college and 
church audiences and meeting with world leaders. Mrs. King championed 
the rights of the poor and advocated for social and economic justice 
for women and for the protection and rights of gay men and lesbian 
women. She marched in protest against racial discrimination across the 
South and was arrested for protesting apartheid in South Africa.
  Mr. Speaker and Colleagues, please join me in honor, recognition and 
memory of Coretta Scott King, whose life mission on behalf of human 
rights has served to raise the collective conscience of the entire 
world into the promise of universal freedom from oppression. Mrs. 
King's brilliant legacy, framed in peace, determination and dignity, 
will forever resound with the voice of her husband, Dr. Martin Luther 
King, Jr.--along our urban streets, across the South and around the 
world--echoing the ongoing struggle for freedom in a chorus of hope 
that will someday rise with their words on the dawning of a new day of 
peace and justice for all.

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