three women in the 60's
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CORETTA SCOTT KINGThe Woman Behind the Man
Coretta Scott’s childhood
Born in the South, right before the Great Depression Raised on a family farm; modest income Her beginning were not unlike many other
African-Americans of her time Not very likely for Scott to rise up out of
current living situation; segregation had a very strong hold
Experienced racism from a young age
Coretta Growing Up
Like other African-American children of the time, Coretta could clearly see effects of having differences in skin color Could you imagine yourself being deliberately
hated and looked down upon because of the color of your skin, something you could not change? In elementary school! How would you have responded?
Segregation took many avenues School bus transportation Movie theatre seating Education opportunities
Coretta’s Determination
Rooted and grew from the unrelenting segregation experienced growing up
Coretta was fortunate to have encouraging parents Obadiah "Obie" Scott and Bernice McMurray
Scott Pushed and encouraged her to pursue an
education They knew an education would be her only
potential foothold in a deeply segregated country
Graduated valedictorian of her high school class
Won a scholarship to Antioch College Music education “integrated” school : black and white
students; however, racism was still very much alive there
Joined National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), a race-relations and a civil liberties committee
Coretta Scott + Martin Luther King = ♥
Continued education in Boston to study music Met Martin Luther King, Jr. Married in 1953, earned her Bachelor’s
Degree in 1954
Civil Rights Movement
Coretta Scott and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. were perfect to lead the Civil Rights Movement together In sync morally, spiritually, and with issues
and ideals that they were willing to live and die for
The Woman Behind the Man
Coretta was the epitome of a supportive wife
Supported him spiritually Both of Southern Baptist Christian Faith
Supported him physically By his side during nonviolent protests,
marches, sit-ins; physically put her life in danger to fight for justice with him
Supported him financially Fundraised through “freedom concerts”
Dedicating her life to the Movement
http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/kin1int-3
How could she not give up?
Scott King believed in social/civil justice so strongly, that she knew they were doing the right thing
Knew that what they were leading was much bigger than justice just for the people of the South “The means we use must be as pure as the
ends we seek.” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Nonviolence was the only means they were
willing to utilize
The Kings knew their goal, but they did not know how things would play, what would get in their way, etc. but they knew they were going in the right direction. They knew they had to persevere. They were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize,
essentially in honor of their struggles. They knew they hadn’t achieved the peace that the award stood for, so their fight was not over.
Civil Rights Movement Successor
April 4, 1968: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is assassinated in cold blood
Days after her husband’s death, Scott King and her children led the march that Dr. King had intended to
Scott King wanted to carry the torch of the Civil Rights Movement
Scott King valiantly carried on her husband’s spirit and the Movement Created The King Center in Atlanta, Georgia
the same year of her husband’s death As a living memorial, a way to carry on his
nonviolent philosophy, and his ideas about social change
Coretta Scott King
Made a name for herself Became more than the woman behind
the man Never lost sight of what was important; what
she and her husband were adamantly working towards
After her husbands death, she nobly picked up where he left off
Started off in a farm and became a face of a Movement