Coretta Scott King — to many, the first lady of the civil rights movement — died yesterday.
The wife of Martin Luther King, Jr., Ms. King dedicated her life’s work to bringing about racial justice and nonviolent social change — both at her husband’s side and following his death. In the public eye, Ms. King came to personify the values she and her husband espoused in their work: peace, fairness, equality, and freedom.
Ms. King’s loss is particularly felt here at the American Anti-Slavery Group. We met in 2000, when she awarded our organization’s president the Boston Freedom Award. It was a rare moment of personal triumph to have one of our role models tell us that she was “personally inspired” by our dedication to the fight to end chattel slavery.
In her words: Struggle is a never-ending process. Freedom is never really won — you earn it and win it in every generation.”
May her commitment to serving others — even in the face of great obstacles — and her example continue to inspire you today and through Black History Month.
In Freedom,
Diane Nguyen
Communications Coordinator
American Anti-Slavery Group
