Honoring the Life and Accomplishments of Mrs. Coretta Scott King

HONORING THE LIFE AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF MRS. CORETTA SCOTT KING -- (House of Representatives - January 31, 2006)

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Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia. it is with great sadness that I rise today to honor the life of Coretta Scott King.

Born April 27, 1927, in Marion, Alabama, Mrs. King led a life of activism beside her husband during the civil rights movement, and carried on his work after he was killed in 1968. Coretta Scott King is a great American heroine who possessed the determination to make the seemingly impossible, possible. Soon after her husband's death, she stated, ``I'm more determined than ever that my husband's dream will become a reality.''

Mrs. King came from humble beginnings; her father ran a country store, and she worked as a waitress to put herself through college. Her strength and resolve guided her through many difficult times as a young widow left to raise four children on her own, but her determination propelled her to achievements of great significance. For almost a decade, she pushed Congress for a national holiday in observance of her late husband's birthday. She was ultimately successful in 1983 when Congress passed and the president signed legislation creating the holiday. The first national celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day occurred in 1986. In 1969, she founded the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change in Atlanta to serve as a living memorial to the Rev. Dr. King's legacy. Additionally, she spoke out against the promotion of violence by movie and television companies.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I would like to express my heartfelt condolences to the King family and call upon my colleagues to forever remember her legacy and message.

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