Her name is inextricably tied to the legacy of her late husband Martin Luther King Jr., but make no mistake, Coretta Scott King was a movement by herself. Aside from helping to lead the Civil Rights Movement, the historical icon became an early symbol for intersectionality as she continued the struggle for racial equality while playing prominent roles in the fight for LGBTQ Equality and Women’s Rights.

Her posthumous memoir My Life, My Love, My Legacy, is based on a series of recorded conversations between Mrs. King and Rev. Dr. Barbara Reynolds. The new book, released on Jan. 17, covers everything from the alleged infidelities of her husband to her views on her personal legacy as an agent for change. “I believe Martin was chosen, I believe I was chosen, and I say to the kids, 'this family was chosen as well,'” she said.

Mrs. King was not some delicate 1950’s housewife. In a previously unheard recorded interview, the activist recalls a conversation she had with her husband, “I said, well you know, I love being your wife and the mother of your children but, if that was all that I did, I would go crazy.”

As we approach the eleven year anniversary of her death on the 30th of January, we continue to celebrate the life and legacy of Coretta Scot King.

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Corretta Scott King

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