Coretta Scott King, widow of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., died Tuesday at 78 of ovarian cancer, according to the Associated Press.
King had a public viewing in the Georgia state Capitol rotunda Saturday and will have another viewing in the Baptist church where her husband was a minister today. Her funeral will take place tomorrow at the Baptist church where her youngest son is a minister, according to The Washington Post.
King died in Mexico at an alternative medicine clinic where she underwent cancer treatment. Prior to her cancer, King had been in ill health in 2005, suffering both a stroke and a heart attack.
King married Martin Luther King Jr. in 1953 and they had four children together. She stood by his side during the most violent days of the civil rights movement.
She continued to voice his dream of equality after his 1968 assassination and fought for more than 10 years for her husband's birthday to be recognized as a national holiday. Former President Reagan signed that bill into law in 1983, and the first Martin Luther King, Jr. day was celebrated in 1986, according to the Associated Press.
In 1969, she founded the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, which grew into a multimillion dollar organization dedicated to fighting hunger, unemployment, voting rights and racism, which King considered the issues that give rise to violence. She also wrote a book called "My Life with Martin Luther King Jr."
Many felt the loss of King. Local senator Barbara A. Mikulski, D-Md., said in a press release, "She was a true trailblazer for women and for the African American community. She was an inspiration for all Americans...Her courage and faith despite all odds was remarkable."
Peris Flagg, a sophomore in the School of International Service, said King's commitment to social justice after her husband's death makes her a role model still today.
"She devoted her life to his legacy," he said. "I think that it goes without saying that she remains a major role model for African-Americans, even more so for African-American women."
By order of Georgia governor Sonny Perdue, flags will fly at half-mast on all state property until King's funeral. When her husband died in 1968, the governor at the time refused to close the Capitol for his funeral and was angered at the flying of state flags at half-
mast.
