From the very beginning, however, Mrs. King insisted that their project be a “living memorial” with significant educational potential. An educator by training, Mrs. King was deeply committed to the central importance of education as a prerequisite for effective leadership. She envisioned a physical space for people of goodwill to learn about the philosophy, methodology, and strategies of nonviolence. Her vision also included an International Chapel of All Faiths, a memorial park, and a permanent entombment for Dr. King.
<blockquote>
“I had conceived of the Center as an extension of Martin’s personality—not just a place, not just a building, but a spirit, one undergirded with his philosophy of nonviolence and love in action. It would be the official living memorial, a place where we would teach his philosophy, methodology, and strategies of nonviolence in the hope of bringing about social change and eliminating what he called the triple evils of society: poverty, racism, and war. The Center would advocate not just for civil rights but for human rights. It would encourage community and economic development in Atlanta as well as agitate for national political empowerment and promote social and economic justice around the world. I knew that I did not want the Center to be a monument set only in bricks and mortar, yet I did want a physical memorial as well, and I envisioned a state-of-the-art archive of my husband’s sermons, speeches, and other pertinent writings, and also films documenting the civil and human rights movements. I saw conference space for programs devoted to issues such as penal reform, voter registration, economic reform, and training in nonviolent conflict reconciliation. And I wanted a “freedom hall,” with an auditorium and meeting rooms, an all-faiths international chapel, an administration building, a memorial park, a community center, a natatorium, and of course a permanent entombment for Martin. ”
Coretta Scott King, My Life, My Love, My Legacy, 2017</blockquote>
Six months later, on January 15, 1969, on what would have been her husband&#8217;s 40th birthday, Mrs. King made a formal announcement establishing The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Center. This first memorial birthday celebration was held at Ebenezer Baptist Church.
The event became an annual commemorative service and a “flagship” celebration. These early celebrations laid the groundwork for what would eventually become the Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday.

Back to Timeline

In the months after Dr. King’s assassination, Mrs. Coretta Scott King assembled an informal group of his close associates to discuss plans for a suitable memorial to her husband.

Leadership

June 26, 1968

Mrs. King Establishes The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Center

Coretta Scott was born on April 27, 1927 in Heiberger, Alabama to Obadiah Scott and Bernice McMurry Scott. Born into a family devoted to service and community uplift, she was provided with incredible examples of faith, courage, dignity, and perseverance that prepared her for a life committed to social justice and peace.

Coretta Scott was raised in the Deep South, where the injustices of racism and segregation were ever present, but her family, like millions across the American South, maintained dignity in the face of adversity.

1935 - 1942

Growing up in the Deep South

Mrs. King talks about her childhood and the importance of her parents

As a child, Coretta was introduced to a posture of nonviolence through her father’s example of faith and forgiveness when the Scott family home was burned down by white racists in 1942.

1942

Learning a Posture of Faith and Forgiveness

Learning a posture of faith and forgiveness

Coretta attended the Lincoln Normal School in Marion, Alabama. Historically supported by the American Missionary Association and the Freedmen’s Bureau, Lincoln was one of the first institutions established for the education of African Americans after the Civil War. The school was the foundation for Alabama State University.

c. 1944

Coretta Scott's Introduction to Nonviolence

Photo of Woolworth Hall, on the campus of the Lincoln Normal School

Coretta Scott’s Introduction to Nonviolence

Coretta Scott enrolled at Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio in 1945. She was the first black person to major in elementary education at Antioch, with a minor in music.

c. 1945 - 1948

A Burgeoning Activist

Portrait of Coretta Scott by Axel Bahnsen

Coretta made her singing debut at Second Baptist Church in Springfield, Ohio.

November 9, 1948

Coretta Performs Her First Public Concert 

<div class="ewa-rteLine">Newspaper article from Dayton Daily News announcing Coretta Scott&#8217;s concert debut.</div>

Coretta Performs her First Public Concert

As a student, Coretta was a member of the Antioch National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), a race relations committee, and a civil liberties committee.

c. 1948-1951

Peace and Social Justice Activism

Coretta Scott as a student delegate in 1948

Coretta Scott met Martin Luther King, Jr., in Boston, Massachusetts where she was studying music education at the New England Conservatory, and he was studying systematic theology at Boston University.

1952 - 1954

The Courtship and Marriage of Coretta Scott and Martin Luther King, Jr.

The wedding portrait of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott in Marion, Ala., on June 18, 1953.

1927 - 1954

Coretta Scott: Artist, Activist, Educator, Woman of Faith 

Coretta Scott King stands behind a podium covered in microphones at Peace-In-Vietnam Rally, Central Park, New York, April 27, 1968.

Mrs. King alongside her husband, was a driving force in the American Civil Rights Movement, and wholeheartedly committed to the philosophy and methodology of nonviolence.
A firm believer in the power of coalition building and an advocate for peace, she lifted her voice against injustice and dedicated herself to the advancement of marginalized communities around the world.
During the 1950s and 1960s, she dedicated enormous energy to both the Civil Rights Movement and motherhood. In the mid-1960s, she began performing “Freedom Concerts” to help raise funds for the Movement. During this period, she also saw the need to begin to preserve the papers and artifacts associated with her husband’s life and leadership.

The arrest of Mrs. Rosa Parks on December 1, 1955 sparked a boycott of the city buses in Montgomery, Alabama.

1955 - 1956

The Montgomery Bus Boycott

Interview of Coretta Scott King preparing to start The Montgomery Bus Boycott

On December 5, 1955, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was elected chairman and spokesperson of the Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA).

December 5, 1955

Mrs. King Organizes a Recording of Dr. King's  First Civil Rights Speech

The Holt Street Baptist church in Montgomery, Alabama.

Mrs. King Organizes A Recording of Dr. King’s  First Civil Rights Speech

As the Boycott gained momentum, Mrs. King directly withstood violence, harassment, and threatening telephone calls. Although the Kings maintained hope that the bus boycott would be successful, they knew it was an uphill battle that would require continued support.

January 30th, 1956

The King Family Home is Bombed

On February 3, 1959, Dr. and Mrs. King departed for a five-week tour of India to deepen their understanding of nonviolence and the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi.

February 3, 1959 - March 18, 1959

Dr. and Mrs. King's Trip to India

Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, Dr. Martin Luther King, and Coretta Scott King during a one-month visit to India at the invitation of the Gandhi Peace Foundation.

Dr. And Mrs. King’s Trip To India

Mrs. King&#8217;s activism in the civil rights movement reached a new level in the mid-1960s when she began hosting the Freedom Concert.

November 15, 1964

Mrs. King Merges Activism and the Arts

Photo of Mrs. King used for the cover of her Freedom Concert programs

Mrs. King merges Activism and the Arts

On December 10, 1964, at 35 years old Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his nonviolent struggle for civil rights.

December 10, 1964

Dr. King Receives the Nobel Peace Prize

Coretta Scott King talks about the Nobel Peace Prize

Dr. King Receives The Nobel Peace Prize

As an activist and integral part of the civil rights movement, Mrs. King was at the forefront of making connections between diplomacy, international peace, justice, and nonviolence.

1962 - 1965

Mrs. King Speaks Widely for Peace, Justice and Nonviolent Social Change 

Mrs. King discusses her participation in the 17 nation disarmament conference. She also discusses how she sees connections between peace and justice issues.

Mrs. King Speaks Widely For Peace, Justice, And Nonviolent Social Change

Like many parents, Dr. and Mrs. King balanced the responsibilities of home and work.

1965 - 1966

Mrs. King as a Working Wife and Mother

Dr. King and Mrs. King with their four children.

Mrs. King as a working wife and mother

In the late 1960s, Mrs. King promoted the importance of preserving the King Family Home (known as the King Birth Home).

1967

Mrs. King Promotes the Preservation of the King Family Home 

Director of Urban Renewal Department Malcolm D. Jones inspects a one-room apartment at 681 Dallas Street (Old Fourth Ward), Atlanta, Georgia.

Mrs. King promotes the preservation of the King Family Home

Recognizing the historical importance of Dr. King’s leadership early on, Mrs. King initiated meetings that resulted in the creation of a project to collect, arrange, and preserve Dr. King’s papers in 1967.

Mrs. King Begins to Collect, Arrange, and Preserve Dr. King's Papers

<div class="ewa-rteLine">Mrs. King holding a document</div>

Mrs. King Begins to Collect, Arrange, and Preserve Dr. King’s Papers

1955 - 1967

Lifting Voice: A Nonviolent Response to Injustice 

Coretta Scott King addresses the "Solidarity Day" rally of the Poor People's Campaign from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

Coretta Scott King addresses the &#8220;Solidarity Day&#8221; rally of the Poor People&#8217;s Campaign from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

&#8220;I had a commitment even larger than Martin’s. I wanted to be useful and available to God, and I was praying to God for direction, a way to perfect my life after Martin and to continue our work and follow the calling we had both cherished.&#8221;
Coretta Scott King, My Life, My Love, My Legacy, 2017
The assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. left a void in the King family, the civil rights movement, the nation, and the world.
Led by her faith, convictions, and years of activism as a co-laborer in the movement, Mrs. King ushered a grieving nation toward nonviolence. Leading a series of marches and demonstrations that had originally been scheduled for Dr. King, she affirmed her commitment to continue the struggle for nonviolent social change.
She spent the following years working to establish a living memorial that would honor her husband&#8217;s legacy and institutionalize the philosophy of nonviolence.

At 7:08 pm on April 4, 1968, Mrs. King was notified that her husband had been shot at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee.

April 4, 1968

The Assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  

Mayor Ivan Allen, Jr. escorting Coretta Scott King away from Hartsfield International Airport immediately after learning about the death of her husband, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Atlanta, Georgia, 1968 April 4

The Assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Mrs. King lead an estimated 42,000 people for the Memphis Sanitation Workers&#8217; Strike march in honor of her husband.

April 8, 1968

Mrs. King Leads the Memphis Sanitation Workers' Strike

Crowds in Memphis, Tennessee, following the assassination of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr in the city, 8th April 1968

Mrs. King Leads The Memphis Sanitation Workers Strike

There was a funeral and a public memorial service held for Dr. King.

April 9, 1968

Funeral and Memorial Services for Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 

Mrs. Martin Luther King, Jr., comforts her youngest daughter Bernice, 5, during services in the Ebenezer Baptist Church, 9th April 1968. (Photo by Moneta Sleet Jr./UPI/Bettmann)

Funeral and Memorial Services for Martin Luther King, Jr.

Four days after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., Representative John Conyers (D) of Michigan introduced the first bill to make Dr. King&#8217;s birthday a federal holiday.

April 1968

The First Push for a Federal Holiday

Mrs. King with Rep. John Conyers (D)

On May 2, 1968, Mrs. King advanced the cause for the Poor People&#8217;s March from the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee.

May - June 1968

Mrs. King Advances the Poor People's Campaign 

Mrs. King&#8217;s Solidarity Day speech

Mrs. King Advances the Poor Peoples Campaign

An event originally intended for her husband, Mrs. King addressed the campus at a tumultuous political moment in American history. a

June 12, 1968

Mrs. King Speaks at Harvard's Class Day 

Mrs. King speaks at Harvard&#8217;s Class Day

Mrs. King Speaks at Harvard’s Class Day

1968

Mrs. King Leads the Nation

Coretta Scott King gestures at an architectural rendering of the Martin Luther King Jr., Center for Nonviolent Social Change.

Coretta Scott King gestures at an architectural rendering of the Martin Luther King Jr., Center for Nonviolent Social Change.

Just months after her husband’s assassination, Mrs. King established the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Center on June 26, 1968. Known as the architect of The King Legacy, she spent the seventies through the early eighties designing and implementing a multi-phase building and preservation program. Her goals included building a physical site for The King Center and ensuring the revitalization and preservation of the Sweet Auburn/Old Fourth Ward community, the historic African American neighborhood where her husband grew up.

Mrs. King&#8217;s vision to establish a memorial center not only included a physical memorial to her late husband, but also a library and archive that would preserve for future generations Dr. King&#8217;s books, sermons, speeches, and other primary source documentary material related to the American civil rights movement.

Mrs. King Launches the King Memorial Library

Mrs. King discusses the importance of properly documenting the history.

Mrs. King launches the King Memorial Library

Mrs. King traveled to New Delhi, India, to accept the Jawaharlal Nehru Award posthumously given to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

January 24th, 1969

Mrs. King Is Welcomed by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi

Mrs. King receives the Nehru Award for International Understanding

Mrs. King published her autobiography, My Life with Martin Luther King, Jr. and embarked on a global tour.

1969 - 1970

Mrs. King Publishes Her Autobiography and Embarks on a Global Book Tour

<div class="ewa-rteLine">Mrs. King&#8217;s global book tour promoting her autobiography, My Life with Martin Luther King, Jr.</div>

Mrs. King often participated in fundraising events for the SCLC, especially through her Freedom Concert performances, and now also raised funds to support the development of the King Memorial, the SCLC, and the burgeoning King Historic District.

March 24th, 1970

Mrs. King Authorizes the First Major Documentary Film about Her Husband's Life and Work

Mrs. King, Ralph Abernathy, and Sidney Poitier at a press conference in New York for a viewing for the film.

Mrs. King authorizes the first major documentary film about her husband’s life and work

Mrs. King supported labor leader César Chavez and the National Farm Workers Association.

December 1970

Mrs. King Supports the National Farm Workers Association

Mrs. King&#8217;s message on Cesar Chavez and the lettuce boycott. The full speech was published in El Malcriado, a newsletter of the United Farm Workers’ Organizing Committee, on January 1, 1971

The King Center held the first Conference on Nonviolence, with panel presentations by Rev. Andrew J. Young; Rev. Jesse Jackson; Harris Wofford; Marian Wright Edelman, Father James Groppi, and other associates of Dr. King.

1971

The King Center Hosts the First Institute on Nonviolence 

First publication of the Institute

The King Center Hosts The First Institute On Nonviolence

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Center was renamed The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Social Change on March 1, 1972, to better reflect the organization’s increasing programmatic activities.

March 1, 1972

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Center is Renamed

The renamed Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Center

In 1974, Mrs. King helped develop and co-chair the National Committee for Full Employment. She also co-chaired the Full Employment Action Council.

1974

Mrs. King Co-Chairs the National Committee for Full Employment and the Full Employment Action Council

Mrs. King talks about the need for the full employment commission

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Historic District was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. In January 1975, the Birth Home of Martin Luther King, Jr. was dedicated.

1974 - 1975

Designation of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Historic District and Dedication of Dr. King's Birth Home 

Image of the birth home of Martin Luther King Jr. stands along Auburn Avenue, the historic heart of the black community in Atlanta.

Designation of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Historic District and Dedication of Dr. King’s Birth Home

The second phase of the building program and the revitalization program of the Sweet Auburn/Old Fourth Ward community included building the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center.

1975 - 1977

Building the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center and Designation of the Sweet Auburn Historic District

Coretta Scott King with an architectural model of the proposed Martin Luther King Jr. Center, 1975

The King Center received major funding to process the papers of Martin Luther King, Jr.

1977

The King Center Continues to Promote Dr. King's Papers

Coretta Scott King tours the archives

The King Center Continues to Promote Dr. King’s Papers

President Jimmy Carter appointed Mrs. King as a public delegate to the 32nd General Assembly of the United Nations. Mrs. King understood her role as an opportunity to expand the message of nonviolence and human rights.

Mrs. King is Appointed as a Public Delegate to the United Nations

Coretta Scott King discusses her appointment to the United Nations

Mrs. King is appointed as a public delegate to the United Nations

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Social Change is renamed The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change to strengthen its emphasis on Dr. King’s unique philosophy and methods of nonviolence.

1978

A Second Name Change and the Capital Development Campaign

The King Center&#8217;s capital development campaign White House launch

In October, The King Center hosted the Groundbreaking for Freedom Hall Complex.

Groundbreaking for the Freedom Hall Complex

Groundbreaking for Freedom Hall Complex

Groundbreaking of the Freedom Hall Complex

The King Center wrote, produced and distributed a new petition calling for the enactment of legislation providing for a Martin Luther King, Jr. National Holiday.

1979

Renewed Efforts Towards a National Holiday

The Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives is presented with petitions bearing six million signatures of Americans supporting a National King Holiday. (L-R) are: Teresa Cropper; Stevie Wonder; Rep. Robert Garcia, Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus; Speaker of the House. Thomas P “Tip” O’Neal. Mrs. Coretta Scott King; and Rep. John Conyers, Michigan.

1968 - 1979

 Architect of the King Legacy: A Living Memorial to Nonviolence

Coretta Scott King attends a ceremony dedicating an engraved marker in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.&#8217;s &#8220;I Have a Dream&#8221; speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial

<div class="ewa-rteLine">
Under Mrs. King&#8217;s visionary leadership, The King Center blossomed into a globally recognized hub for education, research, and training in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.&#8217;s philosophy and methodology of nonviolence. The 1980s saw momentous milestones, such as the establishment of the King Holiday after years of lobbying. Simultaneously, Mrs. King dramatically expanded The Center&#8217;s international activities including nonviolent training workshops in distressed communities. Mrs. King’s ascent as a global ambassador of nonviolence was acknowledged via appointments as a United Nations public delegate and The King Center’s role as a non-governmental organization of the United Nations.
Moving into the 1990s as a seasoned civil rights leader in her own right, Mrs. King increasingly focused her later years on nurturing the next generation of leaders. The King Center too evolved with the times, harnessing interactive methods to promote nonviolence. After her passing, Mrs. King&#8217;s seminal contributions from spearheading the King holiday to elevating Kingian nonviolence globally and mentoring rising generations cemented her formidable leadership legacy alongside her husband&#8217;s enduring one.
</div>

As a direct result of The King Center’s lobbying campaign under Mrs. King’s leadership, in 1980 Congress enacted legislation designating the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site and Preservation District.