Coretta Scott King Dies

Coretta Scott King, widow of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. died Monday night. She was 78.Her last public appearance came a couple weeks ago, January 14 at the Salute to Greatness dinner at the Martin Luther King celebration in Atlanta. Although Mrs. King was not as recognized as her husband, she played a pivotal role in his quest and continued being an activist up until her death. "She was the glue. Long before she met and married Martin Luther King Jr. she was an activist," U.S. Rep. John Lewis said today."She would always admonish 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 yourself from being effective," the Rev. Al Sharpton told CNN.After Martin Luther King’s death in 1968, it was Coretta who lobbied for more than a decade to have his birthday be made a national holiday. In 1986, her hard work payed off, as MLK day was observed nationally. ”She was strong if not stronger than he was," former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young said. "She lived a graceful and beautiful life, and in spite of all of the difficulties, she managed a graceful and beautiful passing."