Coretta Scott King
Coretta Scott King
Coretta Scott Kingwas an American author, activist, and civil rights leader, and the wife of Martin Luther King, Jr. from 1953 until his death in 1968. Coretta Scott King helped lead the African-American Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. King was an active advocate for African-American equality. King met her husband while in college, and their participation escalated until they became central to the movement. In her early life, Coretta was an accomplished singer, and she often incorporated music into...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionCivil Rights Leader
Date of Birth27 April 1927
CityHeiberger, AL
CountryUnited States of America
Coretta Scott King quotes about
An evil deed is not redeemed by an evil deed in retaliation.
Women, if the soul of the nation is to be saved, I believe that you must become its soul.
We must eliminate the gulf of mistrust and ignorance that keeps us from learning from each other.
We have a lot more work to do in our common struggle against bigotry and discrimination. I say "common struggle" because I believe very strongly that all forms of bigotry and discrimination are equally wrong and should be opposed by right-thinking Americans everywhere. Freedom from discrimination based on sexual orientation is surely a fundamental human right in any great democracy, as much as freedom from racial, religious, gender, or ethnic discrimination.
The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.
Justice is never advanced in the taking of human life.
If you give your life to a cause in which you believe, and if it is right and just, and if your life comes to an end as a result of this, then your life could not have been spent in a more redemptive way. I think that is what my husband has done.
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.
How many men must die before we can really have a free and true and peaceful society? How long will it take?
Hate is too great a burden to bear....
I always knew that I was called to do something. I didn't know what, but I finally rationalized after I met Martin [Luther King, Jr.] and it took a lot of praying to discover this, that this was probably what God had called me to do, to marry him.
Without Coretta Scott King, there would not have been a Martin Luther King, Jr. in the way that we know him.
Violence diminishes our humanity.
nonviolence first changes the individual.