Governor Corzine's Statement on Coretta Scott King

GOVERNOR CORZINE'S STATEMENT ON CORETTA SCOTT KING

Today, we mourn the passing of one of America's proudest daughters. Coretta Scott King was a leader; a mother; an artist; and, for millions of Americans, a voice of hope. She was a gracious and beautiful woman, who cared about others as much as herself. She turned unspeakable grief into action, and - like the rising tide - demonstrated the inexorable fulfillment of America's hardest promise: that all men and women are created equal.

By developing the King Center for Nonviolent Social Change, and by persevering in the fight to remember his life with a day of action each year, Coretta Scott King protected for all of us the legacy of her husband, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. But more than that, she built upon that legacy, working tirelessly to spread the messages of nonviolence, and of social and economic justice, around the world.

She struggled against Apartheid in South Africa; against poverty in Latin America; against AIDS and gun violence here at home; and against ignorance and indifference around the world. Not just with words, but with the work of her hands and the power of her heart, Coretta Scott King led us closer to being a nation and a people that keep our promises.

Coretta Scott King is gone. But the faith that she carried and the dream that she lived march on. She once reminded us that, "struggle is a never-ending process. Freedom is never really won - you earn it and win it in every generation." We are deeply saddened by this loss, but it will only shore up our resolve: the long walk that began in Montgomery, Alabama is far from over. We have miles to go.

We draw strength from Coretta Scott King's courage. We are humbled by her faith. We mourn her passing, but we thank her for all that she has left behind - a legacy of conviction and hope.

http://www.state.nj.us/governor/news/news/approved/20060131b.html