FUNERAL PltOGRAM 
FEBRUARY 7. 2006 
 
 PRELUDE MUSIC 
 
Allen Bynoe & Arthur McClinton 
 
MISTRESS OF CEREMO Y 
 
Angela Robinson 
 
A CALL TO CELEBRATION 
 
Rev. Raphael G. Warnock 
 
PRAYER OF PRAISE A DTHANKSGIVING Rev. Alveda King 
 
MUSICAL SELECTION 
 
Rebecca Cook Carter Accompanied by Martha Tepper 
 
SCRIPTURE MUSICAL SELECTION PRAYER OF REPENTANCE INSTRUMENTAL SELECTION SCRIPTURE MUSICAL SELECTIONS 
 
Rev. Kenneth Flowers Resonance Rev. Cecil Williams Milkshake Rev. James Orange Jean Carne Accompanied by Lawrence Weaver 
 
LITURGICAL DANCE MUSICAL SELECTION SCRIPTURE READING PERFORMANCE PRAYER OF RESTORATION MUSICAL SELECTIONS SCRIPTURE MUSICAL SELECTION DANCE PERFORMANCE MUSICAL SELECTION PRAYER FOR THE NATIONS MUSICAL SELECTION SCRIPTURE MUSICAL SELECTION PRAYER OF REVIVAL MUSICAL SELECTION SCRIPTURE MUSICAL SELECTION SPECIAL TRffiUTE CLOSING REMARKS 
 
Lucita Ferris Jarrett Ellis Jerry Dunfey & Nadine Hack Laura English Robinson Evangelist Kathy L. Jackson Atlanta Boy Choir Rev. J.W. Matt Hennesse The Henleys Ballethnic Dance Company Melanie Massell Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory A n g e l l a C h r i s t i e Rev. Barbara L. King Karen J. Lowery Rev. Toussaint K. Hill, Jr. Stephanie Mills Rev. James Forbes Gladys Knight Oprah Winfrey Yolanda King 
 
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Hilda Tompkins Venita 
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Pastor Raphael G. Warnock E1::f.ne zer Baptist Church Progra.tn Participants Ushers Volunteers 
 
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The fan1ily of Caretta Scott King would Jike to express their sincere appreciation to all of you for your kind words, gestures, thoughts and prr1yers. They are humbled by the outpouring of love, condolences and syrnpathy that they have received fro1n people around the \-Vorld. They ask that while they continue to m.o urn ft1e pas3jng of their dear mother, sister, and family member that you will keep thern lifted up in prayer thanking Gou for their continued 
strength. 
 
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 uBe anxzous for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus . Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are 
of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything 
praise worthy- meditate on these things." Philippians 4: 6-8 
 
"And now abide Faith, Hope, Love, these three: but the greatest of these is Love." 
I Corinthians 13:13 
Caretta Scott King- A Chronology 
1927- April 27th- Caretta Scott born to Obadiah Scott and Bernice McMurry Scott in Marion, Alabama. 
1945- Graduated Lincoln High School as valedictorian in May. 
1951- A.B. in Elementary Education and Music from Antioch College. 
1953- Married to Martin Luther King, Jr. on June 18th on the lawn of the Scott's home. Martin Luther King, Sr. performs ceremony. 
1954- Receives Mus.B. degree in education with a major in voice and minor in violin from New England Conservatory of Music. Assumes role of pastor's wife at Montgomery's Dexter Avenue Baptist Church. 
1955- The King's first child, daughter Yolanda Denise is born on November 17th. December 5th- Montgomery Bus Boycott begins after Rosa Parks' arrest on December 1. Dr. King chosen as spokesperson for boycott and to head Montgomery Improvement Association. King home becomes headquarters until official office is opened. 
1956- January 30th- King home bombed while Mrs. King, a church member and baby Yolanda inside. No one is harmed. On December 20th the U.S. Supreme Court ordering desegregation of Montgomery busses reaches Montgomery. Busses are integrated 
1957- The King's second child, son Martin Luther King III is born. 
1960- The Kings move to Atlanta. Dr. King assumes co-pastorate of Ebenezer Baptist Church and Mrs. King becomes co-first lady of church. In October, Democratic Candidate John F. Kennedy calls Mrs. King to express concern for her husband's safety after he is incarcerated after being sentenced to 6 months hard labor at Georgia's Reidsville State Penitentiary for violating probation on a minor traffic charge by sitting in at the Rich's department store lunch counter in Atlanta. Many historians believe this call gave Kennedy the black vote and his margin of victory in the election. Dr. King is released shortly thereafter. 
1961- January 30- The King's third child, son Dexter Scott King is born in Atlanta. 
1963- The King's fourth child, daughter Bernice Albertine is born on March 28th. 
August 28- Joins her husband at Great March on Washington. 
1964- Landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964 is enacted. In December Mrs. King travels with Dr. King to Oslo, Norway where he receives the Nobel Peace Prize on December 10. 
1965- Mrs. King helps Dr. King lead the Selma to Montgomery March for Voting Rights. The Voting Rights Act is passed and signed on August 5th by President Johnson. 
 
1967- Mrs. King convenes a group of supporters of Dr. King to discuss retrieval of his papers from Boston University and the preservation and plan for a place to house them in Atlanta. 
1968 - April 4- Dr. King assassinated. April 8- Accompanied by her three oldest children, Mrs. King leads march in Memphis, which Dr. King was scheduled to lead. 
1969- January 15th- King Center sponsors first birthday celebration in honor of Dr. King at Ebenezer Baptist Church, followed by King Center MLK birthday Observance programs every year afterward. On January 17th Mrs. King announces plans for the programs and buildings of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Center. 
1973- As a result of Mrs. King's initiative. National Park Service declares the area containing Dr. King's birth home, the King Center, his crypt and Ebenezer Baptist Church as a National Historic District. 
1974- Launches fund-raising drive to build Freedom Hall Complex. 
1982- Mrs. King dedicates King Center's Freedom Hall Complex. 
1983- August 27- To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Great March on Washington, Mrs. King and King Center convene the New Coalition of Conscience, which brings together 750 organizations in the most massive nonviolent civil and human rights coalition in U.S. history. The number one legislative priority was the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday bill, which Congress passed approximately three weeks later. In October, Mrs. King attended the ceremony at the White House where President Reagan signs legislation establishing Martin Luther King, Jr. Federal Holiday. 
1985- In July Mrs. King, her son Martin III and her daughter Bernice are arrested in a protest at the South African Embassy in Washington, D.C. 
1986- Mrs. King leads first Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday March. 
1990- Serves as chairperson of the Atlanta Committee, which hosts visit of Nelson and Winnie Mandela. Introduces Nelson Mandela to mass rally in Atlanta. 
1997- Receives Chairman's Award, Congressional Black Caucus 
2004- Receives Antioch University's Horace Mann Award 
January 14, 2006- Mrs. King makes final public appearance at Annual King Center "Salute to Greatness" Dinner. 
January 30,2006- Transition of Mrs. Caretta Scott King 
 
 CELEBRATING HER SPIRIT 
 
    CELEBRATION OF THE LIFE OF 
APRIL 27. 1927- JANUARY 30, 2006 
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2006 
Lying in State Georgia State Capitol 12:00 noon-8:00p.m. 
Special Remarks: The Honorable Sonny Perdue 
Governor, State of Georgia The Honorable Shirley Franklin 
Mayor, City of Atlanta 
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2006 
Lying in Repose Ebenezer Baptist Church- Heritage Sanctuary 
10:00 a.m. - 12:00 midnight Memorial Musical Celebration Ebenezer Baptist Church - Horizon Sanctuary 
12:00 noon- 1:00 p.m. 
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2006 
A Celebration of Life New Birth Missionary Baptist Church 
12:00 noon 
 
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Officiating Bishop Eddie L. Long 
Senior Pastor New Birth Missionary Baptist Church 
Lithonia, G A 
 
Mr. Russell Goode Chattanooga Public Schools (Ret.) 
 
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra 
 
New Birth Total Praise Choir Minister Byron Cage, Director Accompanied by the J. Berry Orchestra of Dekalb County 
 
The King Family 
 
Bishop Eddie L. Long 
 
Dr. Suzan Johnson Cook President, Hampton Ministers' Conference New York, NY 
 
Total Praise Composed by Richard Smallwood 
 
New Birth Total Praise Choir Minister Byron Cage, Director Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Choir Dr. David Morrow, Director 
 
Psalms 139: 1-10 
 
Reverend Vernon C. King Pastor, First Baptist Church, Greensboro, NC 
 
Romans 8:28-39 
 
Elder DeLeice Drane New Birth Missionary Baptist Church 
 
The Lord's Prayer 
 
Sister Miriam Fawaz New Birth Missionary Baptist Church Accompanied by Atlanta Symphony Orchestra 
 
The Honorable George W. Bush President of United States & Mrs.Laura Bush 
The Honorable Sonny Purdue Governor, State of Georgia 
The Honorable Shirley Franklin Mayor, City of Atlanta 
Mrs. Zanele M. Mbeki First Lady, Republic of South Africa 
 
 Vissi d'Arte, Vissi d'Amore Ms. Juandalynn R. Abernathy, Soprano from Tosca, G. Puccini Dr. Joyce Johnson, Accompanist 
Dr. Dorothy I. Height Chairman of the Board National Council of Negro Women Washington, DC 
Ms. Sherry Frank Executive Director American jewish Committee, Atlanta Chapter 
Reverend Dr. Joseph E. Lowery President Emeritus Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) 
 
Ain't Got Time To Die Arranged by Hall Johnson 
 
Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Choir Dr. David Morrow, Director 
The Honorable James Earle Carter 39th President, United States of America 
The Honorable George H.W. Bush 41st President, United States of America & Mrs.Barbara Bush 
The Honorable William Jefferson Clinton 42nd President, United States of America 
The Honorable Hillary Rodham Clinton Senator, United States Senate 
 
Mrs. Patricia C. Latimore Personal Assistant to Mrs. King 
Ms. Shabazz 
Mr. Jesse Hill, Jr. Chairman Emeritus, The King Center Board 
Ms. Carole F. Hoover, Family Friend 
Judge William S. Sessions Former Member King Federal Holiday Commission 
Mr. Billy Mason Student, Summer Workshop on Nonviolence 
Mr. Charles Rachael Former Member, The Crips 
 
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Psalms 23 
 
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Courage 
 
Stand Written by Donnie McClurkin 
His Eye is on the Sparrow 
 
Jeff Majors and Born Again Dancers of New Birth 
Mrs. Edythe Scott Bagley, Sister Professor (Ret.) , Cheney University 
Mrs. Christine King Farris, Sister-in-Law 
Mrs. Naomi Barber King, Sister-in-Law 
Mrs. Christine Osburn Jackson, Cousin Ms. Edith Savage Jennings, Family Friend 
Bishop T. D. Jakes Senior Pastor, The Potter's House Dallas, TX 
Mr. Michael Bolton Performing Artist 
Reverend Dr. Joseph L. Roberts, Jr. Pastor Emeritus, Ebenezer Baptist Church 
Reverend Dr. Otis Moss, Jr. Pastor, Olivet Institutional Baptist Church Cleveland, OH 
Father Michael Pfleger Pastor, St. Sabina Catholic Church, Chicago, IL 
Mr. Bebe Winans Performing Artist 
The Honorable Edward M. Kennedy Senator, United States Senate 
The Honorable John Conyers Representative United States House of Representatives 
Mr. Stevie Wonder Performing Artist 
Dr. Maya Angelou Author, Poet,Activist 
The Honorable Andrew Young Chairman, GoodWorks International, LLC 
 
 Hallelujah from Messiah George Frederic Handel 
 
Mrs. CeCe Winans Performing Artist 
Elder Bernice A. King New Birth Missionary Baptist Church 
Minister Byron Cage New Birth Missionary Baptist Church 
Dr. Robert Schuller Founder and Pastor Emeritus The Crystal Cathedral, Garden Grove, CA 
Combined Choirs Atlanta Symphony Orchestra ]. Berry Orchestra of Dekalb County 
 
The King Family requests that in lieu of flowers, contributions be made to Anitoch College Coretta Scott King Scholarship Fund, 795 Livermore Street, Yellow Springs, OH 45387. 
-Excerpt from Edythe Scott Bagley's introduction of Coretta Scott King at the King Center's 25th Anniversary Commemorative Service. 
On this 25th Anniversary of the founding of the King Center, in presenting my sister Corretta Scott King, I have chosen not to chronicle her achievements in the traditional sense. Certainly the majority of you in this audience already know many of them. We all know that she has been the driving force behind what the King Center has become and what the Federal Holiday Commission has achieved as a great spiritual festival. 
My objective is to try to stimulate you to think about the event which we have been celebrating for the past ten days in terms of what the King Center is, why it came into being, and where it should lead us as the human race continues to evolve towards greater heights of spirituality. 
Many of you are probably familiar with Richard Bach's allegorical book entitled Jonathan Livingston SeagulL In searching for fresh ways to present the meaning and purpose of the Center, I got caught up once more in this piece of writing. The book is about freedom and perfection as these term<; apply to high achievers. In many ways, it<; protagonist, a seagull, reminds me of Coretta and Martin. The seagull's consuming passion is for freedom and perfection-not only for himself, but for all seagulls. At one pointe in this piece, Jonathan's three most outstanding qualities are named: he is special, he is gifted, and he is divine. These qualities enabled him to accomplish more than his fellow birds. 
By being special, gifted, and striving to follow the divine side of his nature, Jonathan becomes an extraordinary leader and teacher. But in time, this fact creates problem<; for him. He is misunderstood; some of the time he is called a devil, other times, a god. 
But Jonathan never gives up. He continues to work tirelessly and unrelentingly to overcome his own limitations in achieving freedom and perfection and to teach other gulls to deal with theirs. This meant, among other things, changing their level of consciousness. 
Jonathan strives to see the good in everyone of his fellow gulls-and to help them see it in them<;elves. 
Jonathan says, "it all boils down to learning to love. " 
This is what Coretta Scott King's life and the mission of the King Center are all about-Love in Action. 
 
 THE WHITE HO SE 
w l-11 
February 3 2006 
Our ation is deeply saddened by the death of Coretta Scott King. Mrs. King was a beloved graceful and courageous woman who called America to its founding ideals and carried on a noble dream. She was a great civil rights leader, and her contributions to freedom and equality made America a better and more compassionate nation. The United States of America is grateful for the good life of Caretta Scott King. 
Laura and I were honored to hav known Mrs. King and we wil1 always treasure the time we spent with her. On behalf of all Americans, we send our prayers and heartfelt sympathy to the family and friends of Caretta Scott King. 
F 
 
 BY THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF GEORGIA 
 
A PROCLAMATION COMMEMORATING THE LIFE OF 
MRS. CORETTA SCOTT KING 
 
WHEREAS : 
WHEREAS : WHEREAS: WHEREAS: THEREFORE: 
 
The State of Georgia mourns the foss of Coretta Scott King, one of the most inspirational civil rights leaders of our time. Throughout the Civil Rights movement, Coretta Scott King was an aid and comfort to her husband, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and following his tragic death, dedicated herself to continu ing his work; and 
In 1968, Mrs. King founded the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for NonViolent Social Change in Atlanta, Georgia to honor Dr. King's memory and to advance the cause of civil rights; and 
Mrs. King was a courageous woman with steadfast morals and a deep understanding of the road to ending segregation in our nation, who fought for equal treatment for all citizens: and 
Coretta Scott King demonstrated unwavering dedication to the cause of sodal justice that she and her husband held dear. She called upon America to stand up for its founding ideals and carried that message across the world; now 
I, SONNY PERDUE. Governor of the State of Georgia, do hereby proclaim February 4, 2006, as a day to commemorate the life of MRS. CORmA SCOTT KING. I encourage all Georgians to honor and remember her as one of the most graceful and lnHuential civil rights leaders of our time. 
In witness thereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the Executive Department to be affixed this fourth day of February in the year of our lord two thousand six. 
 
 SHIRLEY F"RANKLIN 
M.O. OR 
February 7, 2006 
 
CITY OF ATLANTA 
55 TRINITY AVE. S.W ATLANTA. GEORGIA 303350300 
TEL (404) 330-6 I 00 
 
As mayor of the City of Atlanta and on behalf of the people of Atlanta, I offer heartfelt condolences to Yolanda, Martin, Dexter, Bernice and the entire King family on the loss of our sister, Coretta Scott King. 
We will miss her quiet, courageous activism and strength but her legacy and contributions to human rights and social change are timeless. A woman whose faith allowed her to stand for what was just and right, she spoke out against war in the name of peace; she cried out against discrimination in the name of equality and she changed the world in the name of freedom. 
Coretta Scott King once said, "I learned that when you are willing to make sacrifices for a great cause, you will never be alone, because you will have divine companionship and the support of good people. This same faith and cosmic companionship sustained me after my husband was assassinated, and gave me the strength to make my contribution to carrying forward his unfinished work." 
On behalf of the people of Atlanta, while we mourn with you now, we know that you will find peace in the memory of her lifetime commitment and contributions to carrying out Dr. King's unfmished work. 
 
 Pres ears 
Mrs. Corella Scott King 
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f reedom Struggle Told In 
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 IN REMEMBRANCE OF 
 
~nity, elegance, courage, faith-filled and 
strength are all words that describe Coretta Scott King-a peace activist and civil rights leader. She was wife and partner of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and "First Lady" of the civil rights movement. She stood by Dr. King's side through thick and thin and fought tirelessly to keep his legacy alive. On January 30, 2006, Coretta Scott King rejoined Dr. King as she transitioned to her eternal reward. 
Coretta Scott King was born in Heiberger, Alabama on April 27, 1927, the third of four children to Bernice McMurray and Obadiah "Obie" Scott. She inherited a rich legacy of faith, family, character, music, leadership and entrepreneurship. She was named for her grandmother Cora, a woman of unusual strength and drive. Although Coretta never knew her grandmother, she was often told that she was much like her. Her father, maternal grandmother, and slave-born maternal grandfather all grew and sold produce in the community. Coretta's mother and maternal grandmother were seamstresses. One of her deepest regrets was never having known her grandma Cora. 
Coretta's father had a keen business sense and unflagging work ethic that put him in competition with white businessmen. He combined chicken farming and hauling lumber as a business. He was the first "colored man" in the county to own a truck and later a sawmill; and, in 1946, he opened a grocery store on his own property. As a result of his entrepreneurial endeavors, he was often stopped and threatened by white men on the road at night. In spite of this, he was determined to make a way for 
 
his family despite the dangers. Coretta often heard her father say to her mother, "I may not be back. " 
Mrs. Scott was a strong and righteous woman who taught Coretta the values of honesty, truth, compassion, perseverance and the importance of keeping a spiritual focus. With the help of her children, she gardened, fed the hogs and chickens, and milked and fed the cows while Mr. Scott worked away from home. Later, she worked along side her husband in the grocery store. 
When Coretta entered school, she joined other community children in walking over four miles to Crossroads School. She would soon realize the unfairness of white children riding to their wellbuilt brick school while Mrican American children walked. She committed herself to getting an education so that she could use it her education as an instrument to change conditions. 
After completing the sixth grade at Crossroads, Coretta joined her sister at the Lincoln High School in Marion, Alabama. The Scotts paid four dollars and fifty cents in tuition for each child as well as room and board for their children to live with a family during the week. White children were bussed to Marion High School daily. In Coretta's junior year, the county allotted some funds for transportation for Mrican-American students and Mr. Scott converted an old truck into a bus that Mrs. Scott drove a total of forty miles each day. 
Despite their limited schooling, her parents placed a high value on education and made enormous sacrifices to ensure that Coretta, her older sister, Edythe, and brother, Obie Leonard received the best possible education. 
 
 (The Scott's first child, Eunice, died at the age of four.) Mrs. Scott said that her children would go to college even if she had only one dress to wear and she frequently admonished her children to "get an education and try to be somebody. Then you won't have to be kicked around by anybody. If you want clothes and other material things, get an education first, and if you still want these things, you can have them." 
Coretta grew up in Mount Tabor A. M. E. Zion Church where both her parents served in multiple capacities. Her father was Chairman of the Trustee Board and succeeded his own father as the preacher's steward. Her mother served as deaconess, stewardess, and pianist for the choir in which Coretta often sang solos. Coretta, as did Edythe and Obie Leonard, had a good singing voice and learned to love and appreciate music at an early age. 
Coretta began working for a white cotton farmer at the age of ten. She dug long rows, making sure the width of a hoe was between each stalk. When the puffs were ready, she worked as a cotton picker, making from four to five dollars a season. She once picked 200 pounds of cotton a day earning an astonishing seven dollars. She learned in the cotton fields not only to endure tough situations, but also to overcome them. She was known to consistently pick more cotton than her male cousins. 
By the time she was fifteen, Coretta was director of the youth choirs. Her favorite past time after a day of hard work in the fields was winding the Victrola while the family sang and singing while her mother played piano. Her talent for music was fed by the unusually large collection of records the Scott's owned which included spirituals, gospel, jazz and 
 
For Coretta, Lincoln High School opened new worlds of thought. She developed a compelling drive to be somebody and to serve God. She sensed her service would come through music and began working on developing her musical talent. She played the trumpet and piano and sang in the chorus, appearing as soloist in recitals and musical productions while studying voice with a teacher. Coretta got a chance to leave the segregated south when she won a scholarship to join her sister as one of the few black students at Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio. She joined the college's NAACP Chapter and Race Relations and Civil Liberties Committee. She first majored in Early Childhood Education but was inspired to change her plans after she sang on a program with Paul Robeson at an NAACP event. He encouraged her to study voice full-time and she dreamed of having a career like his that combined music performance with social activism. 
Prior to completing her studies at Antioch in 1951, Coretta was advised by the head of the music department to apply for admission to Boston's New England Conservatory of Music and to the Smith Noyes Foundation for a fellowship. She was accepted at the Conservatory and her plan was to specialize in voice while getting a music degree. Coretta arranged for lodging and breakfast by cleaning the floor on which she lived. Sometimes, her dinner consisted of graham crackers, peanut 
 
 IN REMEMBRANCE OF 
 
butter and fruit. She was determined not to write home for money. 
After college graduation, Coretta moved to Boston to attend the New England Conservatory of Music and fulfill her dream of becoming a classical concert singer. One day in 1952, she was introduced to a man named Martin Luther King, Jr. who was a preacher pursuing his Ph.D. at Boston University. Two destinies linked that would later converge to change a nation-but Coretta did not know it at the time. She knew her calling in life was to make a difference in the world by working to change conditions for blacks in the south. She was certain her contribution would be through music, not ministry. 
As Coretta and Martin became more acquainted with one another, they discovered that they shared similar concerns about the plight of their people. The more time she spent with him, she began to sense just how different he was. Coretta was always a champion of hope, dignity and freedom . Even before she met Martin, she was involved in the peace movement and because of this, she was the first to convince him to speak out against the Vietnam War. She has always had a keen sense of history and she believed and frequently quoted 
 
Horace Mann's admonition: "Be ashamed to die until you have won some victory for humanity. " 
On June 18, 1953, Coretta and Martin married and in September, took up residence in Montgomery, Alabama, where Coretta Scott King began to assume the many functions of the pastor's wife at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church. 
Coretta Scott King entered the world stage in 195 5 as wife of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. during the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Prepared by her family, education, and personal commitment for a life dedicated to social justice and peace, she played an important leadership role in the American Civil Rights Movement. Her remarkable partnership with Dr. King also produced four children and a family devoted to social justice and nonviolent social change. During Dr. King's career, Mrs. King focused on raising their children: Yolanda Denise (b. 1955), Martin Luther III (b. 1957), Dexter Scott (b. 1961), and Bernice Albertine (b.1963), balancing her time between mothering and movement work, speaking engagements before church, civic, college, fraternal and peace groups . To help raise funds for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the nonviolent direct action organization for which Dr. King served as first president, she conceived and performed a series of favorablyreviewed Freedom Concerts which combined prose 
 
 APRIL 27 . 1927- jANUARY 30 . 2006 
 
and poetry narration with musical selections. In 195 7, she and Dr. King journeyed to Ghana to mark that country's independence. Dr. and Mrs. King spent nearly a month in India in 1959 on a pilgrimage to visit sites associated with Mahatma Ghandi, and to meet with his disciples. 
In 1964, she accompanied Dr. King to Oslo, Norway, where he received the Nobel Peace Prize. Even prior to her husband's first public statement against the Vietnam War in 1967, Mrs. King functioned as liaison to peace and justice organizations and as an advocate for the unheard and disadvantaged in the councils of public officials. 
After her husband's assassination in 1968, instead of retreating with her young children into her grief, Coretta Scott King stepped out into the forefront to continue her husband's legacy. She began this the day before his funeral, leading the sanitation worker's march he had gone to Memphis to support. She continued to stand up for social justice for the rest of her life. Mrs. King was devoted to preserving Dr. King's legacy by committing much of her energy and attention to developing an building the Atlanta-based Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change as a living memorial to her husband's life and nonviolent philosophy. 
 
built in honor of an Mrican-American leader. As the Founding President, Chair, and Chief Operating Executive Officer, she dedicated herself to providing local, national and international programs that have trained tens of thousands of people in Dr. King's nonviolence philosophy and methods. She guided the creation of the largest archives in the world of civil rights documents at the King Center. In 1995, she passed the torch of leadership to her son Dexter Scott King. 
Mrs. King spearheaded the massive educational and lobbying campaign to establish Dr. King's birthday as a national holiday. In 1984, at the request of Mrs. King, Congress established the Martin Luther King, Jr. Federal Holiday Commission to assure appropriate commemoration of Dr. King's Birthday throughout the nation and world. Mrs. King was the commssion's Chair for its duration. On the third Monday in January 1986, the first official national holiday in honor of Dr. King was celebrated. The King holiday is now celebrated by all 50 states and by millions of people in over 100 countries. Coretta Scott King has carried the message of nonviolence and the dream of the "Beloved - 
 
Situated in the Freedom Hall Complex encircling Dr. King's tomb, the King Center is part of a twenty-three acre national historic park which includes his birth home and which hosts over one million visitors a year. For the twenty-seven years between 1968- 1995, Mrs. King devoted her life to developing the King Center, the first institution 
 
 Community" throughout the world. She has led goodwill missions to Africa, Latin America, Europe, and Asia and has spoken at some of history's most massive peace and justice rallies. She served as a Woman's Strike for Peace delegate to the seventeen-nation disarmament conference in Geneva, Switzerland in 1962 and as an alternate U.S. Delegate to the United Nations during the Carter Administration. She is the first woman to deliver the class-day address at Harvard, and the first woman to preach at a statutory service at St. Paul's Cathedral in London. Through her international speaking platform and leadership for nonviolent social change, Mrs. King carried her message of hope and healing across the nation and throughout the world. 
An advocate of interracial movements for nonviolent social change, in 1974 Mrs. King co-founded a broad coalition of over 100 religious, labor, business, civil, and women rights organizations dedicated to a national policy of full employment and equal economic opportunity serving as cochair of both the National Committee for Full Employment and the Full Employment Action Council. In 1983, she brought together more than 800 human rights organizations to form the New Coalition of Conscience, 
 
which sponsored the 20th Anniversary March on Washington, the largest demonstration in our nation's capital up to that year. 
In 1985, Mrs. King and two of her children were arrested at the South African Embassy in Washington, D. C. for protesting against apartheid. In 1987, she helped lead the Mobilization Against Fear and Intimidation in Forsyth County Georgia. In preparation for the Reagan-Gorbachev talks in 1988, she served as head of the U.S. delegation of Women for a Meaningful Summit in Athens, Greece; and, in 1990, as the U.S.S.R. was redefining itself, Mrs. King was co-convener of the SovietAmerican Women's Summit in Washington, D.C. 
The recipient of more than 50 major awards and doctorates from over 40 colleges and universities, Mrs. King Authored My Life with Martin Luther King, Jr. and has written a syndicated newspaper column. She has co-founded and served on the boards of numerous social change organizations 
including the Black Leadership Forum, the National Black Coalition for Voter Participation and the Black Leadership Roundtable. Heads of state including Prime Ministers and Presidents have held dialogues with Mrs. King. Yet she has also led on picket lines with striking workers and mothers seeking welfare rights. She has 
 
 met with great spiritual leaders including Pope John Paul II, The Dalai Lama, Dorothy Day and Bishop Desmond Tutu. She witnessed the historic handshake between Prime Minister Yltzhak Rabin and Chairman Yassir Arafat at the signing of the Middle East Peace Accords and stood along side Nelson Mandela when he claimed victory in South Africa's first free elections. Mrs. King has traveled across our nation and world speaking out on behalf of racial and economic justice, religious freedom, dignity and human rights for women, children, gays and lesbians, people with disabilities, universal healthcare, educational opportunities, nuclear disarmament and environmental protection. She has lent her support to nonviolent freedom movements worldwide and has consulted with many world leaders, including Corezon Aquino, Kenneth Kaunda, and Thabo Mbeki . As one of the most influential women leaders, Coretta Scott King has tried to make ours a better world and, in the process, has shaped make history. 
 
reconcile with others. She was a woman of extrodinary grace and dignity sent to us by God "for such a time as this. " 
She leaves this legacy of love and reconciliation to her loving children, Yolanda Denise, Martin, III, Dexter Scott, and Bernice Albertine; her devoted siblings, Edythe Scott Bagley (Arthur) of Chester, PA, and Reverend Obadiah Scott, Jr. (Alberta) of Marion, AL; devoted sisters-in-law, Christine King Farris (Isaac) and Naomi Barber King; nieces and nephews, Reverend Alveda King, Reverend Derek B. King Sr., Reverend Vernon King, Isaac Farris, Jr., Auturo Bagley, and Angela Watkins; a loving and devoted assistant, Patricia Latimore; and a host of great nieces and nephews, cousins and friends. 
 
Mrs. King led a life of extraordinary courage and strength . She did not speak her convictions publicly while failing to honor them privately. She did not hold grudges but rose above resentment to 
 
    APRIL 27. 1927- jANUARY 30 , 2006 
CHRONOLOGY 
1927 - April 27th- Coretta Scott born to Obadiah Scott and Bernice McMurry Scott in Marion, Alabama. 
1945 - Graduated Lincoln High School as valedictorian in May. 
1951 - A.B. in Elementary Education and Music from Antioch College. 
195 3 - Married to Martin Luther King, Jr. on June 18th on the lawn of the Scott's home. Martin Luther King, Sr. performs ceremony. 
1954- Receives Mus.B. degree in education with a major in voice and minor in violin from New England Conservatory of Music. Assumes role of pastor's wife at Montgomery's Dexter Avenue Baptist Church. 
1955- The King's first child, daughter Yolanda Denise is born on November 17th. 
December 5th- Montgomery Bus Boycott begins after Rosa Parks arrest on December 1. Dr. King chosen as spokesperson for boycott and to head Montgomery Improvement Association. King home becomes headquarters until official office is opened. 
1956 - January 30th - King home bombed while Mrs. King, a church member and baby Yolanda inside. No one is harmed. On December 20th the U.S. Supreme Court ordering desegregation of Montgomery busses reaches Montgomery. Busses are integrated 
195 7 - The King's second child, son Martin Luther King III is born. 
1960 - The Kings move to Atlanta. Dr. King assumes co-pastorate of Ebenezer Baptist Church and Mrs . King becomes co-first lady of church. In October, Democratic Candidate John F. K ennedy calls Mrs. King to express concern for her husband's safety after he is incarcerated after being sentenced to 6 months hard labor at Georgia's Reidsville State Penitentiary for violating probation on a minor traffic charge by sitting in at the Rich's department store lunch counter in Atlanta. Many historians believe this call gave Kennedy the black vote and his margin of victory in the election. Dr. King is released shortly thereafter. 
1961 - January 30- The King's third child, son Dexter Scott King is born in Atlanta. 
1963 - The King's fourth child, daughter Bernice Albertine is born on March 28th. 
August 28 - Joins her husband at Great March on Washington. 
1964- Landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964 is enacted. In December Mrs. King travels with Dr. King to Oslo, Norway where he receives the Nobel Peace Prize on December 10. 
1965 - Mrs. King helps Dr. King lead the Selma to Montgomery March for Voting Rights. The Voting Rights Act is passed and signed on August 5th by President Johnson. 
 
  1967 - Mrs. King convenes a group of supporters of Dr. King to discuss retrieval of his papers from Boston University and the preservation and plan for a place to house them in Atlanta. 
1968 - April 4 - Dr. King assassinated. 
April 8 -Accompanied by her three oldest children, Mrs. King leads march in Memphis, which Dr. King was scheduled to lead. 
1969 - January 15th- King Center sponsors first birthday celebration in honor of Dr. King at Ebenezer Baptist Church, followed by King Center MLK birthday Observance programs every year afterward. On January 17th Mrs. King announces plans for the programs and buildings of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Center. 
1973 - As a result of Mrs. King's initiative. National Park Service declares the area containing Dr. King's birth home, the King Center, his crypt and Ebenezer Baptist Church as a National Historic District. 
1974- Launches fund-raising drive to build Freedom Hall Complex. 
1982 - Mrs. King dedicates King Center's Freedom Hall Complex. 
1983 - August 27 -To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Great March on Washington, Mrs. King and King Center convene the New Coalition of Conscience, which brings together 750 organizations in the most massive nonviolent civil and human rights coalition in U.S. history. The number one legislative priority was the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday bill, which Congress passed approximately three weeks later. In October, Mrs. King attended the ceremony at the White House where President Reagan signs legislation establishing Martin Luther King, Jr. Federal Holiday. 
1985 - In July Mrs. King, her son Martin III and her daughter Bernice are arrested in a protest at the South African Embassy in Washington, D.C. 
1986- Mrs. King leads first Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday March. 
1990 - Serves as chairperson of the Atlanta Committee, which hosts visit of Nelson and Winnie Mandela. Introduces Nelson Mandela to mass rally in Atlanta. 
1997 - Receives Chairman's Award, Congressional Black Caucus 
2004 - Receives Antioch University's Horace Mann Award 
January 13, 2006- Mrs. King makes final public appearance at Annual King Center "Salute to Greatness" Dinner. 
January 30, 2006 - Transition of Mrs. Coretta Scott King 
 
 Dr. Arthur Bagley Aururo Bagley Howard Dent Isaac Farris, Sr. 
 
Isaac Farris, Jr. Derek B. King, Sr. Philip Osburn Mort Roland Osburn, III 
 
Donzaleigh Abernathy Juanita Abernathy Ralph David Abernathy, III Kwame Abernathy Lillie Baxter Eddie Beal, Jr. John Beal Joshua Beal Harry Belafonte Lerone Bennett Tony Bennett Willie Bolden Bono Walton C. Bride Robert J. Brown Laura Brown Xernona Clayton Brady Dr. Johnnetta B. Cole Kelvin Lynn Cothren Dorothy Cotton Lloyd Davis Dr. Camille Davis-Williams Bill Day Jerry Dunfey 
 
Jarrett Ellis Rev. Kenneth Flowers Henry Ford, Jr. Russell Goode William Gray Dr. Robert Green Lettie Green Dick Gregory Nadine Hack Delores Harmon Freddye Henderson Jesse Hill, Jr. Halton Horton Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. Edith Savage Jennings J.T. Johnson Ingrid Saunders Jones Derek B. King, Jr. Kyle King Steven Klein Dr. Bernard Lafayette, Jr. Cynthia Lewis The Honorable John Lewis Lillian Lewis Evelyn Lowery 
 
Frances Lucas 
 
Kent Matlock 
 
Dr. Lonnie McDonald 
 
Dora E. McDonald 
 
Dr. Maggie Mermin 
 
Herman J. Russell 
 
Rev. James Orange 
 
Rev. E. Randall Osburn 
 
Catherine Reynolds 
 
Harold Sims, Jr. 
 
Dr. Barbara Williams Skinner 
 
Dean Day Smith 
 
Dave Thomas 
 
Steve Thomas 
 
Rev. C. T. Vivian 
 
William "Sonny" Walker 
 
Dr. Levi Watkins 
 
Carl Ware 
 
Rev. Raphael G . Warnock 
 
Nancy Wilson 
 
Andrew 
 
Bo 11 
 
11 
 
Young, 
 
III 
 
Carolyn Young 
 
Dr. Walter F. Young 
 
The King Center Staff (Past & Present) 
 
Lisa Young Alston Celeste Beal Jennifer Beal Leacier Carter Phyllis Daniels-Evans Jewel Davis Evelyn Dudley Gail Hollins Wanda Hunter Alice Eason Jenkins 
 
Kim Judd Yvonne Kennedy Robin Scott King Alveda King Karen Lowery Dr. Kendra A. King Venus King Victoria King Paulette Norvel Lewis Kelli McKaskill 
 
Joy Mcinnis Renee McMurry Cheryl Odeleye Cheryl Lowery Osborne Paula Young Shelton Kimberly Thornton Hilda R. Tompkins Dr. Angela Farris Watkins Farris Christine Watkins Andrea Young 
 
The Atlanta Police Department 
 
 The Coca-Cola Company 
 
Air Tran The City of Atlanta Dekalb County Delta Air Lines, Inc. Fulton County Sheriff Department Georgia Power Company George's Moror Coach Gourmet Services H yart Regency Atlanta 
The Omni Hotel@ CNN Center 
 
Mack II National Park Service New Birth Missionary Baptist Church Park Place Condominium Association Publix Super Markers Sreinway Piano Gallery Studio Named Bermudez TBW Consulting Group, Inc. Turner Broadcasting System 
 
Kathleen Bertrand Bobby Blalock Imara Canady Jeff Cheek Xernona Clayton Dr. Willie Clemons Doris Crenshaw Jewel Davis Elder DeLeice Drane Joyce Epps Lynette Foster Chris Garrett Pamela Goodlow Green Barbara Harrison Beni Ivey Kathy Jackson Alice Eason Jenkins Rev. Suzan Johnson Cook Dr. Kendra A . King Steve Klein Patricia C. Larimore 
 
Paulette Norvel Lewis Officer Clifford Lock Philip Osburn Mort Dora E. McDonald Renee McMurry Kathy Nealy Maria Newby Constance Newman Nakira "Nikki" Norman Helen Smith Price Naeema Rashad LaRira Reid Dan Rene Susan J. Ross Martha Tucker Barbara Williams Skinner Hilda R. Tompkins Venita Bill Walker Tonya Bessillieu Williams Claudia Young-Hill 
 
Judy Smith, Impact Strategies, LLC Sonjia W. Young, Eventions, Inc. 
 
 ~ave had Coretta Scott King as a Mother, is to know unconditional love! Her love and 
memory will remain in our hearts and spirits forever--gently urging us to pursue God's purpose for our lives. It was our unique privilege and blessing to have had her as a parent. We praise and thank God for her. 
Many of you know that our Mother was also a loving, selfless and devoted daughter, sister, friend and matriarch who, each year, generously acknowledged the birthdays and special events of hundreds of friends and family whom she held dear. 
Her life of faith, courage and commitment was a resonant sermon to the ages of the purpose and power available to all of us if we work together to build the "Beloved Community" of humankind. Her example of reaching out to others in love and reconciliation, taught us that love is indestructible and only increases by being shared. 
To those of you who reached out to us in love, prayers or any other generosity of time, talent, or resources, we extend our profound appreciation. For those of you who shared her amazing and inspiring journey, we thank you and ask that you continue to perpetuate her legacy of love, peace, and nonviolence in your lives and in the lives of all that you touch. May we all walk, as she did, with dignity, courage and confidence in the knowledge that we are all children of The One God. 
We ask that you continue to remember us in prayer as we will remember you. 
May God bless you all! 
 
Yolanda D. King 
 
Martin Luther King, III 
 
Dexter Scott King 
 
Bernice A. King