Freedom is never really won. You earn it and win it in every generation. That is what we have not taught young people, or older ones for that matter. You do not finally win a state of freedom that is protected forever. It doesn't work that way.

Coretta Scott King (27 April 192731 January 2006) was a civil rights activist, author, and wife of Martin Luther King, Jr.. Mother of Yolanda Denise King, Martin Luther King III, Dexter Scott King and Bernice King.

Quotes

I'm more determined than ever that my husband's dream will become a reality.
No abundance of material goods can compensate for the death of individuality and personal creativity.
There is a spirit and a need and a man at the beginning of every great human advance. Every one of these must be right for that particular moment of history, or nothing happens.
I believe that freedom and justice cannot be parceled out in pieces to suit political convenience.
Because his task was not finished, I felt that I must re-dedicate myself to the completion of his work.
The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members, ... a heart of grace and a soul generated by love.
  • Our Congress passes laws that subsidize corporations, farms, oil companies, airlines, and houses for suburbia, but when they turn their attention to the poor they suddenly become concerned about balancing the budget and cut back on funds for Head Start.
    • Harvard class day address (1968), quoted in International Education Vol. 1, p. 28
  • Women, if the soul of the nation is to be saved, I believe that you must become its soul.
    • As quoted in Daughters of the Promised Land, Women in American History (1970) by Page Smith, p. 273
  • Mama and Daddy King represent the best in manhood and womanhood, the best in a marriage, the kind of people we are trying to become.
    • On the parents of her husband, in The Christian Science Monitor (2 July 1974)
  • The more visible signs of protest are gone, but I think there is a realization that the tactics of the late sixties are not sufficient to meet the challenges of the seventies.
    • As quoted in The Quotable Woman (1978) by Elaine Partnow, p. 390
  • If American women would increase their voting turnout by ten percent, I think we would see an end to all of the budget cuts in programs benefiting women and children.
    • As quoted in New Woman, Vol. 16, No. 4 (April 1986), p. 20
  • I believe all Americans who believe in freedom, tolerance and human rights have a responsibility to oppose bigotry and prejudice based on sexual orientation.
    • As quoted in Shadow in the Land : Homosexuality in America (1989) by William Dannemeyer, p. 148
  • Segregation was wrong when it was forced by white people, and I believe it is still wrong when it is requested by black people.
    • As quoted in The Last Word : A Treasury of Women's Quotes (1992), by Carolyn Warner, p. 99
  • I support the Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 1994 because I believe that freedom and justice cannot be parceled out in pieces to suit political convenience. My husband, Martin Luther King, Jr. said, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." On another occasion he said, "I have worked too long and hard against segregated public accommodations to end up segregating my moral concern. Justice is indivisible." Like Martin, I don't believe you can stand for freedom for one group of people and deny it to others.
    So I see this bill as a step forward for freedom and human rights in our country and a logical extension of the Bill of Rights and the civil rights reforms of the 1950s and '60's.
    The great promise of American democracy is that no group of people will be forced to suffer discrimination and injustice. I believe that this legislation will provide protection to a large group of working people, who have suffered persecution and discrimination for many years. To this endeavor, I pledge my wholehearted support.
    • Press Conference on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 1994, Washington D.C. (23 June 1994)
  • I still hear people say that I should not be talking about the rights of lesbian and gay people and I should stick to the issue of racial justice. But I hasten to remind them that Martin Luther King Jr. said, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." I appeal to everyone who believes in Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream to make room at the table of brother- and sisterhood for lesbian and gay people.
    • Reuters (31 March 1998)
  • Homophobia is like racism and anti-Semitism and other forms of bigotry in that it seeks to dehumanize a large group of people, to deny their humanity, their dignity and personhood. This sets the stage for further repression and violence that spread all too easily to victimize the next minority group.
    • Chicago Defender (1 April 1998)
  • I've always felt that homophobic attitudes and policies were unjust and unworthy of a free society and must be opposed by all Americans who believe in democracy.
    • Chicago Sun Times (1 April 1998)
  • For many years now, I have been an outspoken supporter of civil and human rights for gay and lesbian people. Gays and lesbians stood up for civil rights in Montgomery, Selma, in Albany, Ga. and St. Augustine, Fla., and many other campaigns of the Civil Rights Movement. Many of these courageous men and women were fighting for my freedom at a time when they could find few voices for their own, and I salute their contributions
    • Chicago Tribune (1 April 1998)
  • On April 3, 1968, just before he was killed, Martin delivered his last public address. In it he spoke of the visit he and I made to Israel. Moreover, he spoke to us about his vision of the Promised Land, a land of justice and equality, brotherhood and peace. Martin dedicated his life to the goals of peace and unity among all peoples, and perhaps nowhere in the world is there a greater appreciation of the desirability and necessity of peace than in Israel.
    • As quoted in Jewish Currents, Vol. 52, (April 1998), p 13
  • We have a lot more work to do in our common struggle against bigotry and discrimination. I say "common struggle" because I believe very strongly that all forms of bigotry and discrimination are equally wrong and should be opposed by right-thinking Americans everywhere. Freedom from discrimination based on sexual orientation is surely a fundamental human right in any great democracy, as much as freedom from racial, religious, gender, or ethnic discrimination.
  • We have to launch a national campaign against homophobia in the black community
    • Reuters (8 June 2001)
  • I'm fulfilled in what I do... I never thought that a lot of money or fine clothes — the finer things of life — would make you happy. My concept of happiness is to be filled in a spiritual sense.
    • As quoted in Mary Lou Retton's Gateways to Happiness (2000) by Mary Lou Retton, David Bender, p. 213
  • Hate is too great a burden to bear. It injures the hater more than it injures the hated.
    • As quoted in Understanding Cultural Diversity in Today's Complex World‎ (2006) by Leo Parvis, p. 54

My Life with Martin Luther King Jr., Revised Edition (1969/1993)

Coretta Scott King not only secured her husband's legacy, she built her own … Having loved a leader, she became a leader, and when she spoke, Americans listened closely. ~ George W. Bush
  • Freedom is never really won. You earn it and win it in every generation. That is what we have not taught young people, or older ones for that matter. You do not finally win a state of freedom that is protected forever. It doesn't work that way.
    • p. xiii
  • Because his task was not finished, I felt that I must re-dedicate myself to the completion of his work.

Quotes about King


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