Newspapers / Meredith College Student Newspaper / Feb. 22, 2006, edition 1 / Page 2
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CAMPUS NEWS Febmajy 22^20(16 2 Coretta Scott King: A Symbol of Dignity, Strength, and Perseverance EMEUA DUNSTON Staff Writer Sit^ce the passing of Coret ta Scott King on January 30, 2006, many great things have been said about the character and life of the wife of slain civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The Rever end Joseph Lowery, former president of the Southern Christian Leadership Con ference who worked on civil rights with Dr. King in the 1950s once said, “She wore her grief with dignity. She moved quietly but force fully into the fray. She stood for peace in the midst of turmoil.” It seems that in many of the sentiments ex pressed by some of today’s influential leaders, the main characteristics that she ex hibited the best were dignity, strength, and perseverance. Long before she became Corette Scott King, she was just Coretta Scott from Mar ion, Alabama. Growing up in the South during the early 1940s, Coretta saw and ex perienced racism and preju dice first hand. In her town, her father was the only black that owned his own truck. His truck enabled him to en ter into the lumber-hauling business and compete with whites, but it also made him a target. As a result, she saw her childhood home bum to the ground on Thanksgiv ing weekend in 1942 and witnessed her father being threatened when he refused to sell his sawmill to a white man. Instead of letting the negatives bring her down, Coretta used those negatives to her advantage and allowed them to empower her. While her father went back to work hauling timber and rebuild ing their home, she followed her father’s example and kept going. She stood tall in front of those who tried to bring her down or make her feel inferior and fought hard er for equal rights for Afri- can-Americans. From her father, Coretta once wrote, “His example deepened my understanding of the courage it takes to actually live out a commitment to God’s love over hatred. Daddy prepared me, without my knowing it, for the risks that my husband and I would face together throughout the Civil Rights Movement.” During the Civil Rights Movement, Scott entered the public eye as the wife of Dr. King, but became much more than that. She be came a symbol of strength in the face of adversity. At the height of the movement, she braved numerous death threats against her husband and her family and survived the bombing of her home by white supremacists. Her strength was admired by many, but the one who ad mired her strength the most and looked to her for cour age was her husband. In his autobiography. The Auto biography of Martin Luther King, Jr., he wrote: My devoted wife has been a constant source of con solation to me through all the difficulties. In the midst of the most tragic experi ences, she never became panicky or overemotional. I have come to see the real meaning of that rather trite statement: a wife can either make or break a husband. My wife was always stron ger than I was through the struggle. While she had cer tain natural fears and anxiet ies concerning my welfare, she never allowed them to hamper my active participa tion in the movement. Cor- rie proved to be that type of wife with qualities to make a husband when he could have been so easily broken. In the darkest moments, she always brought the light of hope. 1 am convinced that if I had not had a wife with the fortitude, strength, and calm ness of Corrie, I could not have withstood the ordeals and tensions surrounding the movement. After her husband’s death in 1968, instead of isolating Upcoming Events in the Career Center Non-Profit Career Fair On Wednesday, March 15 from Ipm-3pm at the Alumni Gym of Guilford Col lege in Greensboro, take the opportunity to gather information from representa tives of non-profit agencies. A list of agencies will be available from the Career Center prior to the fair. From Handshake to Job Offer During this information session on Friday, March 17 at 10am in the Career Cen ter Resource Room, learn strategies for success at the Spring Career Fair includ ing how to dress appropriately, approach employers, request an interview, and more. Spring Career Fair Gather information and interview with employers for full-time positions in busi ness, industry, government, and the non-profit sector at the Spring Career Fair on Wednesday, March 22 from 9am-5pm in the NCSU McKimmon Center. www.answers.com herself to grieve and face her husband’s death, she kept going. She turned her grief into tireless devotion to pre serving her husband’s legacy and continued to carry his message of non-violence. Four days after his death, she continued his work and led a march of fifty-thousand people through Memphis; in addition, she took his place in the Poor People’s March to Washington. The Rever end A1 Sharpton told CNN, “She would always admon ish us that... one of the ways you bring about change is, you must change yourself so that you’re prepared to lead people in the direction they should go. If your emotions are as bad as those you’re fighting, even if your cause is just, you disqualify your self from being effective.” Much of her courageous work went towards develop ing the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change in Atlanta, Georgia. She worked end lessly for years raising funds for the center, while still finding time to be involved in the causes that were im portant to her husband. In addition, she was able to get her husband’s birthday hon ored as a national holiday. Coretta Scott King was a true vision of dignity, strength and perseverance throughout her life. She,devoted her life to the cause and served as an inspirational figure for men and women. Even though she is gone, there is still work to be done. The tight for equality and civil rights is far from over. She helped keep the movement going when times looked bleak and now it’s time for everyone to continue this march, not just for her but for all the other civil rights leaders who are no longer here. Mrs. King said it best herself when she wrote, “By reaching into and beyond ourselves and tap ping the transcendent ethic of love, one shall overcome these evils. Love, truth, and the courage to do what is right should be our own guideposts on this lifelong journey. Teacher Network Fair Are you interested in the teaching profes sion? If so, the Teacher Network Fair is your chance to connect with representa tives from public, private, charter, and magnet schools for full-rime teaching po sitions. This event will be held on Thurs day, March 9 from 9:30am-12:30pm in Belk Dining Hall. If teaching is the career of your choice, make sure to take advantage of this opportunity.
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