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Behind every great man is a great woman.
In history, we see notable women reduced to the position of ‘doting wife’– the woman who keeps up the home while the man goes out in the world and makes real change. These women are seen as accessories to help their husbands achieve their dreams. However, those women were so much more. They were muses and leaders in their own right. Bernice King had to set the record straight about her mother, Coretta Scott King, on X (formerly known as Twitter).
The youngest daughter of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King posted that on Twitter following comments from disgraced actor and civil rights wannabe, Jonathan Majors. Majors was well on his way to becoming a household name and well-respected actor until he was charged with physically assaulting his ex-girlfriend, Grace Jabbari in March 2023. About two months after the charges were filed, Majors and actress Meagan Good went public with their relationship. The timing was convenient. I’m sure he hoped linking himself to a Black Hollywood darling like Good would help his image as he fought the case brought against him involving his white ex-girlfriend.
As the trial played out, we all witnessed the “Harlem” actress silently support him at various court dates. In December 2023, Majors was found guilty of misdemeanor assault in the third degree recklessly causing physical injury, and harassment in the second degree. Two more women have since come forward claiming abuse. Following the guilty verdict, when asked about his relationship with Good, Majors said he’s “lucky to have her” and that she is his “Coretta Scott King.”
Majors has a habit of comparing his partners to famous, iconic Black women. During the trial, prosecutors played an audio recording of him telling Jabbari that she should be more like Coretta Scott King or Michelle Obama. Does that mean he compares himself to MLK and Barack Obama? Talk about an inflated ego and over-arching expectations. And how does Good stack up to Mrs. King? She is a talented actress and a staple in the Black community, but when it comes to her “relationship” with Majors, all we see is a woman standing by a man accused of assault. That feels unworthy of a comparison to a woman who was a formidable civil rights activist on her own accord.
Check out below three other titles held by Coretta Scott King that have nothing to do with her roles as wife and mother.
Musician
CSK was a talented musician and vocalist and she used her talents to help the cause. King held two bachelor degrees in music. She hosted Freedom Concerts across the South throughout the 1960s. The concerts helped raise money and awareness of the the Civil Rights Movement.
Civil Rights Activist
An advocate for peace and nonviolence, King spoke at various rallies and institutions all over the world to spread her message. According to TheKingCenter.org, she advocated for “racial and economic justice, women’s and children’s rights, gay and lesbian dignity, religious freedom, gun control, the needs of the poor and homeless, full-employment, health care, educational opportunities, nuclear disarmament, and environmental justice.”
Changemaker
When Coretta Scott King called people answered.
In 1974, CSK led “a broad coalition of over 100 religious, labor, business, civil, and women’s rights organizations dedicated to a national policy of full employment and equal economic opportunity.”
In ‘83, she gathered 800 human rights organizations to create the Coalition of Conscience. They sponsored the 20th Anniversary March on Washington. The group also worked to establish the King National Holiday.
Coretta was instrumental in preserving Dr. King’s legacy, but we do her a disservice when we say that’s all she did with her life. She passed away in 2006 after decades of freedom fighting and helping to better the world for everyone who lives here. Bernice King says it best in her HuffPost article.
“When my father, Martin Luther King, Jr., encountered her in Boston, he encountered a whole woman, a woman of substance.”
Sources:
https://thekingcenter.org/
https://www.huffpost.com/
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