Coretta Scott King - Family Life

Family Life

Coretta Scott and Martin Luther King, Jr., were married on June 18, 1953, on the lawn of her mother's house; the ceremony was performed by Martin Jr.'s father, Martin Luther King, Sr.. Coretta had the vow to obey her husband removed from the ceremony, which was unusual for the time. After completing her degree in voice and piano at the New England Conservatory, she moved with her husband to Montgomery, Alabama, in September 1954. Mrs. King recalled: "After we married, we moved to Montgomery, Alabama, where my husband had accepted an invitation to be the pastor of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church. Before long, we found ourselves in the middle of the Montgomery bus boycott, and Martin was elected leader of the protest movement. As the boycott continued, I had a growing sense that I was involved in something so much greater than myself, something of profound historic importance. I came to the realization that we had been thrust into the forefront of a movement to liberate oppressed people, not only in Montgomery but also throughout our country, and this movement had worldwide implications. I felt blessed to have been called to be a part of such a noble and historic cause."

The Kings had four children:

• Yolanda Denise King (November 17, 1955 – May 15, 2007)
• Martin Luther King III (October 23, 1957 in Montgomery, Alabama)
• Dexter Scott King (January 30, 1961 in Atlanta, Georgia)
• Bernice Albertine King (March 28, 1963 in Atlanta, Georgia)

All four children later followed in their parents' footsteps as civil rights activists.