Honoring the Life and Accomplishments of Mrs. Coretta Scott King

HONORING THE LIFE AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF MRS. CORETTA SCOTT KING -- (Extensions of Remarks - February 08, 2006)

SPEECH OF
HON. JOHN B. LARSON
OF CONNECTICUT
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2006

* Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, yesterday, I attended the heartfelt memorial service of Mrs. Coretta Scott King. Mrs. King was a model citizen and will truly be missed by the Nation. Last week the House debated H. Res. 655, which honored the life and accomplishments of Mrs. Coretta Scott King. This resolution recognized her contributions as a leader in the Civil Rights Movement and expresses condolences to the King family on her passing.

* Coretta Scott King was born on April 27, 1927, in Heiberger, Alabama. Mrs. King graduated from Antioch College with a degree in music and education and was granted a scholarship to study concert singing at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. It was in Boston where she met a young theology student, Martin Luther King, Jr., who was attending Boston University, and her life was forever changed. They were soon caught up in a dramatic series of events that sparked the modern Civil Rights Movement. Dr. King was recognized as the face of the movement, called upon to lead various marches from city to city, with Mrs. King right by his side, encouraging citizens, regardless of race, to defy the laws of segregation.

* On April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King, Jr., was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. Channeling her grief, Mrs. King concentrated her energies on fulfilling her husband's work by building The King Center in Atlanta, Georgia, as a living memorial to her husband's life and dream. However, Mrs. King's greatest accomplishment was yet to come. She set out to establish her late husband's birthday as a national holiday, and that dream came to fruition when Congress declared the first observance of this national holiday in 1986. Today, the holiday is marked by annual celebrations in over 100 countries.

* Mrs. King was an influential public figure and is referred to as the ``First Lady of the Civil Rights Movement.'' She was a world-renowned speaker who gave hundreds of speeches both abroad and at home, and was active in organizations such as the National Council of Negro Women and the Women's Strike for Peace. Mrs. King was also known for her writing, most notably for her autobiography, My Life With Martin Luther King. Jr.

* Mrs. Coretta Scott King had a vision and she had the wherewithal to keep that vision alive. The journey towards equality for all has been greatly advanced by her work and accomplishments. Mrs. Coretta Scott King is a true American hero and will dearly be missed by her family, the Nation, and the world.

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